# Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) - Author: [Eusebius of Caesarea](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/eusebius-of-caesarea/) - Latin title: *De martyribus Palaestinae (recensio brevior)* - Date: ca. 311–314 (approximate) - Source: Wilhelm Dindorf, ed., Eusebii Caesariensis Opera, vol. 4 (Leipzig: Teubner, 1871) (Greek text: Wilhelm Dindorf, Eusebii Caesariensis Opera (Teubner), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0) - Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator - Editions and translations: Eduard Schwartz, ed., Eusebius Werke 2.2: Die Kirchengeschichte, GCS 9.2 (Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1908), with both recensions - Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/ - Passages: 127 ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension), inscription - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-0-1 - Source: Dindorf 4:383 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Eusebius dates the first edict of the Great Persecution (303) and states its provisions. ### Greek text Ἔτος τοῦτο ἦν ἐννεακαιδέκατον τῆς Διοκλητιανοῦ βασιλείας, Ξανθικὸς μὴν, ὃς λέγοιτʼ ἂν Ἀπρίλλιος κατὰ ῾Ρωμαίους, ἐν ᾧ τῆς τοῦ σωτηρίου πάθους ἑορτῆς ἐπιλαμβανούσης ἡγεῖτο μὲν Φλαβιανὸς τοῦ τῶν Παλαιστίνων ἔθνους, ἥπλωτο δʼ ἀθρόως πανταχοῦ γράμματα, τὰς μὲν ἐκκλησίας εἰς ἔδαφος φέρειν, τὰς δὲ γραφὰς ἀφανεῖς πυρὶ γενέσθαι προστάττοντα, καὶ τοὺς μὲν τιμῆς ἐπειλημμένους ἀτίμους, τοὺς δὲ ἐν οἰκετίαις, εἰ ἐπιμένοιεν τῇ τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ προθέσει, ἐλευθερίας στερίσκεσθαι προαγορεύοντα. ### English translation (Claude) It was the nineteenth year of Diocletian's reign, in the month Xanthicus, which would be called April among the Romans, in which, as the feast of the Saviour's passion was approaching, while Flavian was governing the province of Palestine, letters were suddenly published everywhere ordering that the churches be razed to the ground and the Scriptures destroyed by fire, and proclaiming that those who held honours should be degraded, and that those in households, if they persisted in the profession of Christianity, should be deprived of liberty. ### Translation notes - The nineteenth year of Diocletian is 303. 'Those in households' (ἐν οἰκετίαις) probably means members of the imperial or private households; the sense is uncertain. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 0.1 (Dindorf 4:383; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension), inscription - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-0-2 - Source: Dindorf 4:383 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: A second edict ordered the arrest of all church leaders and their forced sacrifice. ### Greek text καὶ ἡ μὲν τῆς πρώτης καθʼ ἡμῶν γραφῆς τοιαύτη τις ἦν δύναμις. μετʼ οὐ πολὺ δὲ ἑτέρων ἐπιφοιτησάντων γραμμάτων προσετάττετο τοὺς τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν προέδρους πάντας πανταχῆ πρῶτον μὲν δεσμοῖς παραδίδοσθαι, εἴθʼ ὕστερον πάσῃ μηχανῇ θύειν ἐξαναγκάζεσθαι. ### English translation (Claude) Such was the force of the first edict against us. Not long after, other letters arrived, and it was ordered that all the presidents of the churches everywhere should first be put in chains, and afterwards be compelled by every means to sacrifice. ### Translation notes - 'Presidents of the churches' (προέδρους) means the bishops and other clergy. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 0.2 (Dindorf 4:383; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-2). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 1.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-1-1 - Source: Dindorf 4:383–384 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Procopius, the first Palestinian martyr, refused to sacrifice to the gods or the four emperors and was beheaded. ### Greek text Πρῶτος τοιγαροῦν τῶν ἐπὶ Παλαιστίνης μαρτύρων Προκόπιος, πρὶν ἢ φυλακῆς πεῖραν λαβεῖν, εὐθὺς ἀπὸ πρώτης εἰσόδου τοῖς ἡγεμονικοῖς παραστὰς δικαστηρίοις, θύειν τε τοῖς λεγομένοις προσταχθεὶς θεοῖς, ἔνα μόνον ἔφησεν εἰδέναι, ᾧ καθῆκεν ὡς αὐτὸς βούλεται θύειν· ὡς δὲ κἂν τοῖς βασιλεῦσι τέσσαρσι σπένδειν ἐκελεύετο, ῥῆμά τι φθεγξάμενος τῶν οὐ προσηνῶν αὐτοῖς αὐτίκα τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποτέμνεται, τὸ ποιητικὸν εἰπὼν ἐκεῖνο “οὐκ ἀγαθὸν πολυκοιρανίη, εἷς κοίρανος ἔστω, εἶς βασιλεύς.” ### English translation (Claude) The first, then, of the martyrs in Palestine was Procopius. Before he had any experience of prison, as soon as he was first brought before the governor's court and ordered to sacrifice to the so-called gods, he said he knew only one, to whom it was fitting to sacrifice as he himself wishes. When he was ordered to pour a libation at least to the four emperors, he uttered a saying not pleasing to them and was at once beheaded, having quoted that line of the poet: "The rule of many is not good; let there be one ruler, one king." ### Extrabiblical texts - Homer, Il. 2.204-205 (Homer, Iliad): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The line is Homer, Iliad 2.204–205, which Procopius turns against the four co-emperors. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 1.1 (Dindorf 4:383–384; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/1-1). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 1.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-1-2 - Source: Dindorf 4:384 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The date of Procopius's martyrdom: 7 June, a Wednesday. ### Greek text Δεσίου μηνὸς ἑβδόμῃ, πρὸ ἑπτὰ εἰδῶν Ἰουνίων λέγοιτʼ ἂν παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις, ἡμέρᾳ τετράδι σαββάτου τοῦτο πρῶτον ἐπὶ Καισαρείας τῆς Παλαιστίνης ἀπετελέσθη σημεῖον. ### English translation (Claude) This first sign was accomplished at Caesarea in Palestine on the seventh of the month Daesius, which among the Romans would be called the seventh day before the Ides of June, on the fourth day of the week. ### Translation notes - 7 June 303. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 1.2 (Dindorf 4:384; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/1-2). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 1.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-1-3 - Source: Dindorf 4:384 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Many clergy at Caesarea endured tortures; some gave way at once; others suffered scourging, racking, and crippling bonds. ### Greek text μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς πόλεως πλεῖστοι ὅσοι τῶν ἐπιχωρίων ἐκκλησιῶν ἄρχοντες, δειναῖς αἰκίαις προθύμως διαθλήσαντες, μεγάλων ἀγώνων ἱστορίαν τοῖς ἐνορῶσιν ἐνεδείξαντο, ἄλλοι δὲ ὑπὸ δειλίας τὴν ψυχὴν προναρκήσαντες προχείρως οὕτως ἀπὸ πρώτης ἐξησθένησαν προσβολῆς, τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν ἕκαστος εἴδη διάφορα βασάνων διήλλαττον, τοτὲ μὲν μάστιξιν ἀνηρίθμοις, τοτὲ δὲ στρεβλώσεσι καὶ καταξάνσεσι τῶν πλευρῶν δεσμοῖς τε ἀνυπομονήτοις, ὑφʼ ὧν τισὶ καὶ παρεθῆναι συνέβη τὰς χεῖρας. ### English translation (Claude) After this, in the same city, very many rulers of the churches of the region, contending eagerly under terrible tortures, displayed to those who looked on a record of great contests. Others, their souls numbed beforehand by cowardice, readily gave way at the first assault. Of the rest, each went through different kinds of tortures: now countless scourgings, now the rack and the scraping of the sides, and unbearable bonds, by which some even had their hands disabled. ### Translation notes - 'Rulers of the churches' (ἐκκλησιῶν ἄρχοντες) means the clergy, in line with the second edict. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 1.3 (Dindorf 4:384; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/1-3). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 1.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-1-4 - Source: Dindorf 4:384–385 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Officials forced or feigned sacrifices so as to dismiss prisoners as though they had complied. ### Greek text ὅμως δʼ οὖν ἔφερον τὸ ἀποβὰν ἀκολούθως ταῖς ἀπορρήτοις κρίσεσι τοῦ θεοῦ τέλος. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἑτέρων κατεχόντων αὐτοῦ τὼ χεῖρε καὶ τῷ βωμῷ προσαγόντων, τήν τε μιαρὰν καὶ ἐναγῆ θυσίαν κατὰ τῆς δεξιᾶς ἐπιρριπτούντων, ὡς ἂν τεθυκὼς ἀπηλλάττετο, ὁ δὲ μηδʼ ὅλως ἐφαψάμενος, εἰρηκότων δʼ ἑτέρων ὅτι τεθύκοι, σιωπήσας ἀπῄει, ἄλλος ἡμιθανὴς αἰρόμενος ὡσὰν ἤδη νεκρὸς ἐρρίπτετο καὶ ἀνίετό γε τῶν δεσμῶν, ἐν τεθυκόσιν αὐτοῖς λελογισμένος, ὁ δὲ βοῶν καὶ μαρτυρόμενος, ὅτι μὴ πείθοιτο, κατὰ στόματος παιόμενος, πολυχειρίᾳ τε τῶν ἐπὶ τούτῳ τεταγμένων κατασιγαζόμενος, μετὰ βίας ἐξωθεῖτο, καὶ εἰ μὴ τεθυκὼς ἦν. ### English translation (Claude) Nevertheless they bore the outcome that befell them in keeping with the hidden judgments of God. For one, while others held his hands and brought him to the altar and thrust the foul and polluted sacrifice into his right hand, was dismissed as though he had sacrificed. Another, who had not touched it at all, when others said that he had sacrificed, went away in silence. Another, carried off half-dead, was thrown out as though already dead and released from his bonds, counted among those who had sacrificed. Another, shouting and protesting that he would not obey, was struck on the mouth, silenced by the many hands of those appointed for this, and thrust out by force, even though he had not sacrificed. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 1.4 (Dindorf 4:384–385; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/1-4). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 1.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-1-5 - Source: Dindorf 4:385 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Of the many tortured, only Alpheus and Zacchaeus were martyred, beheaded on 17 November for confessing one God and Christ as king. ### Greek text οὕτως ἐκ παντὸς τὸ δοκεῖν ἠνυκέναι αὐτοῖς περὶ πολλοῦ ὑπῆρχεν. ἐκ δὴ οὖν τῶν τοσούτων μόνοι τοῦ τῶν ἁγίων μαρτύρων κατηξιώθησαν στεφάνου Ἀλφειὸς καὶ Ζακχαῖος, οἱ μετὰ μάστιγας καὶ ξεσμοὺς, δεσμά τε χαλεπὰ καὶ τὰς ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀλγηδόνας, ἑτέρας τε διαφόρους ἐξετάσεις, νυχθήμερον ὑπὸ τέσσαρα τοῦ κολαστηρίου ξύλου κεντήματα τοὺς πόδας παραταθέντες, Δίου μηνὸς ἑπτακαιδεκάτῃ αὕτη παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις ἡ πρὸ δεκαπέντε Καλανδῶν Δεκεμβρίων) μόνον ἕνα θεὸν καὶ Χριστὸν βασιλέα Ἰησοῦν ὁμολογήσαντες, ὥς τι βλάσφημον φθεγξάμενοι, ὁμοίως τῷ προτέρῳ μάρτυρι τὰς κεφαλὰς ἀπετμήθησαν. ### English translation (Claude) So important was it to them by all means to seem to have succeeded. Out of so many, then, only Alpheus and Zacchaeus were counted worthy of the crown of the holy martyrs. After scourgings and scrapings, harsh bonds and the pains that followed them, and various other examinations, they were stretched by their feet over four holes of the stocks for a night and a day, and on the seventeenth of the month Dius (which among the Romans is the fifteenth day before the Kalends of December), because they confessed only one God and Christ Jesus as king, as though they had uttered something blasphemous, they were beheaded like the earlier martyr. ### Translation notes - The digital text lacks the opening parenthesis before the Roman date. The text reads ἴνα, here taken as a slip for ἕνα ('one'). ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 1.5 (Dindorf 4:385; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/1-5). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 2.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-2-1 - Source: Dindorf 4:385 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Romanus, a deacon and exorcist of Caesarea, rebuked the crowds sacrificing at Antioch. ### Greek text Μνήμης δʼ ἄξια τυγχάνει καὶ τὰ περὶ Ῥωμανὸν ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμέρας ἀποτελεσθέντα. Παλαιστῖνός γὰρ οὗτος ὢν, διάκονός τε καὶ ἐπορκιστὴς τῆς ἐν Καισαρείᾳ παροικίας, ὁμοῦ τῇ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν καθαιρέσει γενόμενος ἐκεῖσε, πλείους ἄνδρας ἅμα γυναιξὶ καὶ τέκνοις σωρηδὸν τοῖς εἰδώλοις προσιόντας τε καὶ θύοντας ἐνιδὼν. ἀνύποιστον ἡγησάμενος τὴν θέαν, ζήλῳ θεοσεβείας πρόσεισι, κἀκείνοις μεγάλῃ φωνῇ κεκραγὼς ἐπιπλήττει. ### English translation (Claude) Worthy of remembrance too are the things done to Romanus at Antioch on the same day. He was a Palestinian, a deacon and exorcist of the community at Caesarea. Having come there at the very time of the destruction of the churches, and seeing many men together with women and children going up in crowds to the idols and sacrificing, he thought the sight unbearable, and in zeal for godliness went up and rebuked them with a loud cry. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 2.1 (Dindorf 4:385; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/2-1). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 2.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-2-2 - Source: Dindorf 4:385–386 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Sentenced to burning, Romanus joyfully went to the stake and called for the fire. ### Greek text αὐτὸς δὲ τῆς τόλμης ἕνεκεν συλληφθεὶς, γενναιότατος εἰ καί τις ἄλλος ἀποδέδεικται μάρτυς τῆς ἀληθείας. ἀποφηναμένου γὰρ κατʼ αὐτοῦ τὸν διὰ πυρὸς θάνατον τοῦ δικαστοῦ, φαιδρῷ προσώπῳ καὶ διαθέσει εὖ μάλα προθυμοτάτῃ τὴν ἀπόφασιν ἀσπαστῶς καταδεξάμενος ἀπάγεται· εἶτα τῷ ἰκρίῳ προσδεῖται, τῆς τε ὕλης συμπεφορημένης ἐπʼ αὐτῷ, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ὑφάπτειν τὴν πυρὰν τὴν βασιλέως ἐπιπαρόντος ἐπίκρισιν ἐκδεχομένων, ποῦ μοι τὸ πῦρ” ἐβόα ### English translation (Claude) He himself was arrested for his boldness and proved, if anyone ever did, a most noble martyr for the truth. For when the judge pronounced sentence of death by fire against him, he welcomed the sentence with a radiant face and a most eager disposition and was led away. Then he was bound to the stake, and when the wood had been heaped around him and those who were to light the pyre were waiting for the decision of the emperor, who was present, he cried out, "Where is the fire for me?" ### Translation notes - The emperor present at Antioch was Diocletian (or Galerius); the text does not say which. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 2.2 (Dindorf 4:385–386; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/2-2). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 2.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-2-3 - Source: Dindorf 4:386 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Instead of burning, Romanus had his tongue cut out, which he offered willingly. ### Greek text καὶ ταῦτα λέγων ἀνάκλητος πρός βασιλέα γίνεται, καινοτέρᾳ ὑποβληθησόμενος κολάσει τῆς γλώττης, ἧς ἀποκοπὴν ἀνδρειότατα ὑπομείνας ἔργοις ἅπασιν ὑπέδειξεν ὅτι δὴ θεία δύναμις τοῖς ὁτιποτοῦν χαλεπὸν ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας ὑπομένουσιν ἐπελαφρίζουσα τοὺς πόνους καὶ τὴν προθυμίαν ἐπιρρωννῦσα παρίσταται. μαθὼν γοῦν τὴν καινουργίαν τῆς κολάσεως καὶ μὴ καταπλαγεὶς ὁ γεννάδας, ἀσμένως προύβαλετο τὴν γλῶτταν, προθυμότατα εὐτρεπῆ παρέχων αὐτὴν τοῖς ἀποτέμνουσι. ### English translation (Claude) While saying this he was recalled to the emperor, to be subjected to a stranger punishment of the tongue. He endured its cutting out most bravely, and showed by his deeds to all that a divine power is present with those who endure any hardship whatever for godliness, lightening their pains and strengthening their eagerness. When he learned of the novel punishment, the noble man was not dismayed, but gladly put out his tongue, most eagerly offering it ready to those who were cutting it off. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 2.3 (Dindorf 4:386; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/2-3). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 2.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-2-4 - Source: Dindorf 4:386 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Kept in prison, Romanus was strangled in the stocks at Diocletian's twentieth anniversary amnesty. ### Greek text μεθʼ ἣν τιμωρίαν εἰς δεσμὰ βληθεὶς, πλεῖστόν τε αὐτόθι πονηθεὶς χρόνον, τέλος τῆς ἀρχικῆς εἰκοσαετηρίδος ἐπιστάσης, κατὰ νομιζομένην δωρεὰν τῶν ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς πανταχῆ πάντων ἐλευθερίας ἀνακηρυχθείσης, μόνος ὑπὸ πέντε κεντήματα ἄμφω τὼ πόδε διαταθεὶς, ἐν αὐτῷ κείμενος τῷ ξύλῳ βρόχῳ περιβληθεὶς, ὡς καὶ ἐπεπόθει, μαρτυρίῳ κατεκοσμήθη. ### English translation (Claude) After this punishment he was thrown into prison and suffered there a very long time. At last, when the twentieth anniversary of the emperor's reign arrived and, by what was considered an act of grace, freedom was proclaimed everywhere for all who were in bonds, he alone, stretched with both feet over five holes in the very stocks in which he lay, was strangled with a noose, and so, as he had longed, he was adorned with martyrdom. ### Translation notes - The vicennalia of Diocletian, November 303. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 2.4 (Dindorf 4:386; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/2-4). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 2.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-2-5 - Source: Dindorf 4:386 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Romanus belongs among the Palestinian martyrs; in the first year only church leaders were targeted. ### Greek text ἀλλʼ οὗτός γε, εἰ καὶ ὑπερόριος, ὅμως Παλαιστῖνός ὢν, ἐν Παλαιστινοῖς ἄξιος ἂν εἴη μάρτυσιν ἀριθμεῖσθαι. ταῦτα μὲν ἔτει πρώτῳ τοῦτον ἀπετελέσθη τὸν τρόπον, κατὰ μόνων τῶν τῆς ἐκκλησίας προέδρων ἐπηρτημένου τοῦ διωγμοῦ. ### English translation (Claude) Although he died abroad, yet since he was a Palestinian he deserves to be counted among the Palestinian martyrs. These things were done in this way in the first year, when the persecution was directed only against the presidents of the church. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 2.5 (Dindorf 4:386; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/2-5). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 3.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-3-1 - Source: Dindorf 4:386–387 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: In the second year a general order to sacrifice was issued; Timothy was burned at Gaza, and Agapius and Thecla were condemned to the beasts. ### Greek text Δευτέρου δʼ ἔτους διαλαβόντος, καὶ δὴ σφοδρότερον ἐπιταθέντος τοῦ καθʼ ἡμῶν πολέμου, τῆς ἐπαρχίας ἡγουμένου τηνικάδε Οὐρβανοῦ, γραμμάτων τούτῳ πρῶτον βασιλικῶν πεφοιτηκότων, ἐν οἷς καθολικῷ προστάγματι πάντας πανδημεὶ τοὺς κατὰ πόλιν θύειν τε καὶ σπένδειν τοῖς εἰδώλοις ἐκελεύετο, Τιμόθεος ἐν Γάζῃ πόλει τῆς Παλαιστίνης μυρίας ἀνατλὰς βασάνους, ἐπὶ πάσαις λεπτῷ καὶ μαλθακῷ πυρὶ παραδοθεὶς, δοκιμὴν γνησιωτάτην τῆς περὶ τὸ θεῖον γνησιωτάτης εὐσεβείας διὰ τῆς πρὸς πάντα ὑπομονῆς παρασχὼν, τὸν τῶν ἱερονικῶν τῆς θεοσεβείας ἀθλητῶν στέφανον ἀπηνέγκατο. τούτῳ δʼ ἅμα γενναιοτάτην ἔνστασιν ἐπιδειξάμενοι Ἀγάπιος καὶ ἡ καθʼ ἡμᾶς Θέκλα θηρίοις εἰς βορὰν κατεδικάσθησαν. ### English translation (Claude) In the course of the second year, when the war against us was intensified more violently, and Urbanus was then governing the province, imperial letters first reached him in which, by a general order, all the people in every city were commanded to sacrifice and pour libations to the idols. Timothy, in Gaza, a city of Palestine, after enduring countless tortures, was finally given over to a slow and gentle fire; by his endurance in everything he gave the most genuine proof of a most genuine godliness toward God, and carried off the crown of the victorious athletes of godliness. At the same time Agapius and our own Thecla, showing a most noble firmness, were condemned to be food for wild beasts. ### Translation notes - 'Our own Thecla' distinguishes her from the Thecla of the Acts of Paul. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 3.1 (Dindorf 4:386–387; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/3-1). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 3.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-3-2 - Source: Dindorf 4:387 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: At a public festival the condemned Christians were expected to be exhibited to the beasts. ### Greek text τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις τίς ἰδὼν οὐκ ἐθαύμασεν, ἡ· καὶ ἀκοῇ μαθὼν οὐκ ἐξεπλάγη; πάνδημον γάρ τοι τῶν ἐθνῶν ἑορτὴν καὶ συνήθεις θέας ἀγόντων, μετὰ τῶν ἄλλως αὐτοῖς σπουδαζομένων καὶ τοὺς ἀρτίως θηρίοις κατακριθέντας πολὺς ἦν ὁ λόγος ἐπιδείξεσθαι τὸν ἀγῶνα. ### English translation (Claude) Who that saw what followed did not marvel, or that learned it by hearing was not astonished? For when the pagans were holding a public festival and the customary shows, there was much talk that, along with the other entertainments they were eager for, those lately condemned to the beasts would also be displayed in the contest. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 3.2 (Dindorf 4:387; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/3-2). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 3.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-3-3 - Source: Dindorf 4:387 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Six young men bound their own hands and presented themselves to Urbanus as Christians. ### Greek text αὐξούσης δῆτα καὶ πλεοναζούσης παρὰ πᾶσι τῆς φήμης νεανίαι τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἕξ, ὧν ὁ μὲν Ποντικὸς τὸ γένος ἦν, ὄνομα Τιμόλαος, ὁ δʼ ἐκ Τριπόλεως τῆς Φοινίκης, Διονύσιος ἐκαλεῖτο, ἕτερος δʼ αὐτῶν τῆς ἐν Διοσπόλει παροικίας ὑποδιάκονος, Ῥωμύλος ἦν καὶ τούτῳ προσηγορία, δύο τε ἐπὶ τούτοις Αἰγύπτιοι, Πάησις καὶ Ἀλέξανδρος, καὶ ἄλλος τούτῳ συνώνυμος Ἀλέξανδρος τῶν ἀπὸ Γάζης, ἐπὶ τὸ κυνηγέσιον ἀνιέναι μέλλοντι τῷ Οὐρβανῷ, ἐνδήσαντες πρότερον τὰς αὐτῶν χεῖρας, ὡς ἂν τὴν ἄγαν σημήνειαν περὶ τὸ μαρτύριον προθυμίαν, δρομαῖοι προσίασι, Χριστιανοὺς σφᾶς ὁμολογοῦντες, διά τε τῆς πρὸς πάντα τὰ δεινὰ παρατάξεως, ὅτι μηδὲ τὰς τῶν θηρίων ἐπιβολὰς οἱ τὴν εἰς τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεὸν εὐσέβειαν αὐχοῦντες κατεπτήχασιν, ἐπιδεικνύμενοι. ### English translation (Claude) As the report grew and spread among all, six young men (one of them of Pontic race, named Timolaus; another from Tripolis in Phoenicia, called Dionysius; another, a subdeacon of the community at Diospolis, whose name was Romulus; besides these two Egyptians, Paesis and Alexander; and another of the same name, Alexander, from Gaza) first bound their own hands, to show their great eagerness for martyrdom, and ran up to Urbanus as he was about to go up to the wild-beast hunt, confessing themselves Christians and showing by their readiness for every terror that those who glory in godliness toward the God of the universe do not cower even before the attacks of wild beasts. ### Translation notes - The text reads ἴξ ('six' is ἕξ) and οἶ (for οἱ); both corrected. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 3.3 (Dindorf 4:387; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/3-3). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 3.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-3-4 - Source: Dindorf 4:387–388 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: With two companions, Agapius and Dionysius, the eight were beheaded at Caesarea on 24 March. ### Greek text αὐτίκα μὲν εἰς οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν κατάπληξιν αὐτόν τε τὸν ἄρχοντα καὶ τοὺς ἀμφʼ αὐτὸν καταστήσαντες δεσμωτηρίῳ καθείργνυνται, μετʼ οὐ πολλὰς δὲ ἡμέρας δυοῖν αὐτοῖς ἄλλων καταλεγέντων, τοῦ μὲν καὶ πρὸ αὐτῶν δειναῖς καὶ ποικίλαις ἤδη πρότερον καθʼ ἑτέρας ὁμολογίας ἐναθλήσαντος βασάνοις, Ἀγάπιος καὶ αὐτῷ ὄνομα ἠν, τοῦ δὲ τὰς τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῖς χρείας διακονουμένου, ὄνομα δὲ καὶ τούτῳ Διονύσιος, οἱ πάντες ὀκτὼ γενόμενοι τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὖθις ἐπʼ αὐτῆς Καισαρείας ἀποτέμνονται, Δύστρου μηνὸς ἡμέρᾳ τετράδι καὶ εἰκάδι, ἡ πρὸ ἐννέα Καλανδῶν Ἀπριλλίων καὶ αὐτὴ οὔσα ἐτύγχανεν. ### English translation (Claude) At once, having thrown the governor himself and those about him into no ordinary amazement, they were shut up in prison. Not many days later two others were added to them: one, who before them had already contended in terrible and varied tortures in earlier confessions, was also named Agapius; the other, who served them in their bodily needs, was also named Dionysius. All eight together were beheaded on one day, again at Caesarea itself, on the twenty-fourth day of the month Dystrus, which is the ninth day before the Kalends of April. ### Translation notes - 24 March 305. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 3.4 (Dindorf 4:387–388; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/3-4). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 3.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-3-5 - Source: Dindorf 4:388 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Diocletian and Maximian abdicated, and the empire began to suffer. ### Greek text ἐν τούτῳ μεταβολή τις τῶν κρατούντων, αὐτοῦ δὴ τοῦ πάντων ἀνωτάτω καὶ τοῦ μετʼ αὐτὸν δευτέρου, ἐπὶ τὸ ἰδιωτικὸν σχῆμα γίνεται, νοσεῖν τε αὐτοῖς ἄρχεται τὰ κοινά. ### English translation (Claude) Meanwhile a change took place among the rulers: the highest of all and the one second after him withdrew to private life, and public affairs began to go badly for them. ### Translation notes - The abdication of Diocletian and Maximian, 1 May 305. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 3.5 (Dindorf 4:388; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/3-5). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 3.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-3-6 - Source: Dindorf 4:388 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Civil war followed and lasted until peace for the Christians was established. ### Greek text μικρὸν δʼ ὕστερον διαστάσης εἰς ἑαυτὴν τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς πόλεμος ἄσπονδος εἰς αὐτοὺς ἐπεγείρεται, οὐ πρότερόν τε τὰ τῆς διαστάσεως καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ ταύτῃ θορύβων κατάστασιν εἴληφεν ἢ τὴν καθʼ ἡμᾶς εἰρήνην καθʼ ὅλης πρυτανευθῆναι τῆς ὑπὸ τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν οἰκουμένης. ### English translation (Claude) A little later, when the Roman Empire was divided against itself, an implacable war was stirred up among them; and the division and the disturbances that followed it did not settle down until peace toward us had been secured throughout the whole world under Roman rule. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 3.6 (Dindorf 4:388; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/3-6). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 3.7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-3-7 - Source: Dindorf 4:388 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Peace for the church restored stability to the empire; Eusebius defers the account. ### Greek text ἅμα τε γὰρ αὕτη τοῖς πᾶσι δίκην φωτὸς ὡσὰν ἐκ ζοφερᾶς καὶ σκοτεινοτάτης νυκτὸς ἀνατέταλκε, καὶ αὖ πάλιν τὰ κοινὰ τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίας αὖθις εὐσταθῆ καὶ φίλια καὶ εἰρηναῖα ἦν, τὴν ἐκ προγόνων εἰς ἀλλήλους εὔνοιαν ἀπολαμβάνοντα. ἀλλὰ τούτων μὲν κατὰ τὸν προσήκοντα καιρὸν ἐντελέστερον ἀποδώσομεν τὸν λόγον. νυνὶ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν ἐξῆς ἀπίωμεν ἀκολουθίαν. ### English translation (Claude) For as soon as this peace dawned on all like light, as it were out of a gloomy and darkest night, the public affairs of the Roman government were again stable, friendly and peaceful, recovering the goodwill toward one another inherited from their forefathers. But of these things we will give a fuller account at the proper time; now let us go on to the order of what followed. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 3.7 (Dindorf 4:388; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/3-7). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 4.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-4-1 - Source: Dindorf 4:388 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Maximin Daia became Caesar and intensified the persecution. ### Greek text Μαξιμῖνος Καῖσαρ αὐτόθεν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν παρελθὼν ὥσπερ τῆς ἐμφύτου θεοεχθρίας αὐτοῦ καὶ δυσσεβείας τὰ σύμβολα τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐνδεικνύμενος, γεννικώτερον ἢ οἱ πρόσθεν τῷ καθʼ ἡμῶν ἐπαπεδύετο διωγμῷ. ### English translation (Claude) Maximin Caesar, coming to power at once, as though displaying to all the tokens of his innate hostility to God and impiety, girded himself for the persecution against us more vigorously than those before him. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 4.1 (Dindorf 4:388; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/4-1). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 4.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-4-2 - Source: Dindorf 4:388–389 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Eusebius introduces the martyr Apphianus, an example to all Caesarea. ### Greek text πᾶσι δῆτα συγχύσεως οὐ μικράς ἐπῃωρημένης, καὶ ἄλλων ἄλλοσε διασπειρομένων, διαδρᾶναί τε τὸ δεινὸν ἐπιμελὲς ποιουμένων, χαλεπῆς τε τὸ πᾶν ἐπεχούσης κινήσεως, τίς ἂν ἐξαρκέσειεν ἡμίν λόγος εἰς τὴν ἐπαξίαν διήγησιν τοῦ θείου ἔρωτος καὶ παρρησίας τῆς εἰς θεὸν ὁμολογίας τοῦ μακαρίου καὶ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἀμνοῦ ἀκάκου, μάρτυρος Ἀπφιανοῦ φημὶ, τοῦ πρὸ πυλῶν ἐπὶ θεωρίαν ἅπασι τοῖς κατὰ Καισάρειαν θαυμαστὸν παράδειγμα τῆς εἰς τὸν μόνον θεὸν εὐσεβείας προβεβλημένου; ### English translation (Claude) When no small confusion hung over all, and people were scattered in different directions, trying to escape the danger, and grievous agitation held everything, what words could suffice us for a worthy account of the divine love and of the boldness in confessing God of the blessed and truly innocent lamb, the martyr Apphianus, I mean, who was set forth before the gates as a spectacle for all the people of Caesarea, a wonderful example of godliness toward the only God? ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 4.2 (Dindorf 4:388–389; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/4-2). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 4.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-4-3 - Source: Dindorf 4:389 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Apphianus, not yet twenty and wealthy, studied at Berytus yet lived chastely and piously. ### Greek text εἰκοστὸν ἔτος οὐδέπω τοῦτο τῆς τοῦ σώματος ἡλικίας ἦν αὐτῷ. πρῶτον μὲν οὖν τῆς Ἑλλήνων παιδείας ἕνεκα κοσμικῆς ἐτύγχανε γὰρ καὶ τῶν κατὰ κόσμον εὖ μάλα πλούτῳ περιρρεομένων) τὸν πλείονα κατὰ τὴν Βηρυτὸν διατρίψας χρόνον, παράδοξον καὶ εἰπεῖν, ὡς ἐν τοιαύτῃ πόλει τῶν νεωτερικῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν ὑπεράνω γενόμενος, καὶ μήθʼ ὑπὸ ἀκμῆς τοῦ σώματος μήθʼ ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν νέων ἑταιρίας διαφθαρεὶς τὸν τρόπον σωφροσύνην ἠσπάζετο, κοσμίως καὶ σεμνῶς καὶ εὐσεβῶς κατὰ τὸν αἱροῦντα Χριστιανισμῷ λόγον διεξάγων καὶ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ παιδαγωγῶν βίον. ### English translation (Claude) He was not yet twenty years of age. At first, for the sake of secular Greek education (for he was among those in the world who abounded greatly in wealth), he spent most of his time at Berytus; and, marvellous to say, in such a city he rose above youthful desires, and, corrupted in character neither by the vigour of his body nor by the company of young men, he embraced self-control, living decently, soberly and piously according to the Christian teaching he had chosen, and governing his own life. ### Translation notes - The text repeats 'twentieth' (εἰκοστὸν κόστον); the repeated syllables are removed. The digital text lacks the opening parenthesis before 'for he was'. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 4.3 (Dindorf 4:389; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/4-3). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 4.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-4-4 - Source: Dindorf 4:389 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Eusebius proposes to honour Apphianus's homeland as well. ### Greek text εἰ δὲ χρὴ μνήμην ποιησαμένους καὶ τῆς πατρίδος αὐτοῦ κοσμῆσαι καὶ ταύτην διὰ τοῦ προαχθέντος ἐξ αὐτῆς γενναίου τῆς θεοσεβείας ἀθλητοῦ, εὐλόγως αὖ καὶ τοῦτο ποιήσομεν. ### English translation (Claude) If, in remembering him, we ought to honour his homeland too because of the noble athlete of godliness who came from it, we shall do this also with good reason. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 4.4 (Dindorf 4:389; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/4-4). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 4.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-4-5 - Source: Dindorf 4:389–390 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Apphianus left his non-Christian family at Pagae in Lycia and, trusting God, went to Caesarea. ### Greek text εἴ τις ἄρα Παγὰς ἐπίσταται τῆς Λυκίας οὐκ ἄσημον πόλιν, ἐντεῦθεν ὁρμώμενος ὁ νεανίας, μετὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον τῆς κατὰ τὴν Βηρυτὸν παιδείας, τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῷ τὰ πρωτεῖα τῆς πατρίδος ἀποφερομένου, μὴ οἷός τε φέρειν τὴν ἅμα τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τοῖς τῷ γένει προσήκουσι συνουσίαν, ὅτι μηδὲ ζῆν αὐτοῖς ἐδόκει κατὰ τοὺς τῆς θεοσεβείας θεσμοὺς, πνεύματι δʼ ὥσπερ θείῳ κατεσχημένος, καὶ κατά τινα φυσικὴν, μᾶλλον δʼ ἔνθεον καὶ ἀληθῆ φιλοσοφίαν μεῖζον φρονήσας τῆς νενομισμένης τοῦ βίου δόξης, τῆς τε τῶν σωμάτων τῶν καταπτύσας ἡδυπαθείας, κρύβδην τοὺς οἰκείους ἀποδρὰς, καὶ μηδὲ τῶν ἐφημέρων δαπανῶν ἐπιστραφεὶς ἐλπίδι καὶ πίστει τῇ εἰς θεὸν, ἤγετο πρὸς τοῦ θείου πνεύματος χειραγωγούμενος ἐπὶ τὴν Καισαρέων πόλιν, ἔνθα ἡτοίμαστο αὐτῷ ὁ τοῦ μαρτυρίου τῆς θεοσεβείας στέφανος. ### English translation (Claude) If anyone knows Pagae, a not undistinguished city of Lycia, the young man came from there. After his return from his education at Berytus, while his father held the first place in their homeland, he could not bear living with his father and his relatives, since they did not think fit to live according to the laws of godliness. Possessed as it were by a divine spirit, and by a natural, or rather an inspired and true, philosophy, thinking more highly than the conventional glory of life and despising the pleasures of the body, he secretly ran away from his household; and, without thought even for his daily expenses, in hope and faith in God, he was led by the hand of the divine Spirit to the city of Caesarea, where the crown of martyrdom for godliness had been prepared for him. ### Translation notes - The text has an extra τῶν before καταπτύσας, translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 4.5 (Dindorf 4:389–390; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/4-5). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 4.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-4-6 - Source: Dindorf 4:390 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: At Caesarea he lived with Eusebius's circle, studying Scripture and practising discipline. ### Greek text γενόμενος δὲ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς ἅμα, καὶ ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα τοῖς θείοις λόγοις ἐπʼ ὀλίγον συλλεξάμενος, ἀσκήσεσί τε προσηκούσαις ἐκθυμότατα παρασκευασάμενος, τέλος οἶον ἐπιδέδεικται, τίς μὲν πάλιν ἰδὼν οὐ κατεπλάγη; ### English translation (Claude) Having come to live with us, he gathered as much as possible from the divine words in a short time, and prepared himself most earnestly with fitting disciplines; and then the end he displayed, who again that saw it was not amazed? ### Translation notes - 'With us' refers to Eusebius's household at Caesarea (see 4.8), presumably the circle of Pamphilus. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 4.6 (Dindorf 4:390; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/4-6). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 4.7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-4-7 - Source: Dindorf 4:390 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: His deed showed superhuman courage and zeal. ### Greek text τίς δʼ αὖθις ἀκοῇ παραλαβὼν οὐκ ἂν ἐνδίκως θαυμάσειε τὸ θάρσος, τὴν παρρησίαν, τὴν ἔνστασιν, καὶ πρό γε τούτων τὴν τόλμαν καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ἐγχείρημα, ζήλου θεοσεβείας καὶ πνεύματος ὡς ἀληθῶς ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον παρέχοντα τεκμήρια; ### English translation (Claude) And who, hearing of it in turn, would not rightly marvel at his courage, his boldness, his firmness, and above all at his daring and the act itself, which gave proofs of a zeal for godliness and of a spirit truly beyond human? ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 4.7 (Dindorf 4:390; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/4-7). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 4.8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-4-8 - Source: Dindorf 4:390–391 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: During Maximin's general order to sacrifice, Apphianus seized the governor's hand at a libation and urged him to abandon idols. ### Greek text δευτέρας γάρ τοι καθʼ ἡμῶν γενομένης ἐπαναστάσεως ὑπὸ Μαξιμίνου, τρίτῳ τοῦ καθʼ ἡμᾶς ἔτει διωγμοῦ, γραμμάτων τε τοῦ τυράννου τοῦτο πρῶτον διαπεφοιτηκότων, ὡς ἂν πανδημεὶ πάντες ἁπαξαπλῶς μετʼ ἐπιμελείας καὶ σπουδῆς τῶν κατὰ πόλεις ἀρχόντων θύοιεν, κηρύκων τε καθʼ ὅλης τῆς Καισαρέων πόλεως ἄνδρας ἅμα γυναιξὶ καὶ τέκνοις ἐπὶ τοὺς τῶν εἰδώλων οἴκους ἐξ ἡγεμονικοῦ κελεύσματος ἀναβοωμένων, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ὀνομαστὶ χιλιάρχων ἀπὸ γραφῆς ἕκαστον ἀνακαλουμένων, ἀφάτῳ τε κλύδωνι κακῶν τῶν πανταχόσε συγκεχυμένων, ἀφόβως ὁ δεδηλωμένος, μηδενὸς ἐπὶ τῷ πραχθησομένῳ συνειδότος αὐτῷ, ἡμᾶς τε, οἱ κατʼ οἶκον αὐτῷ συνῆμεν, καὶ ἔτι πᾶν τὸ περὶ τὸν ἡγεμόνα στρατιωτικὸν στῖφος ὑποκλέψας, σπένδοντι τῷ Οὐρβανῷ πρόσεισι, καὶ τῆς δεξιᾶς ἀκαταπλήκτως αὐτὸν λαβόμενος κατέπαυσε μὲν παραχρῆμα τοῦ θύειν, εὖ μάλα δὲ συμβουλευτικῶς μετά τινος θείου παραστήματος παρῄνει παύσασθαι τῆς πλάνης· μὴ γὰρ ἔχειν καταλιπόντας τὸν ἕνα καὶ μόνον ἀληθῆ θεὸν εἰδώλοις καὶ δαίμοσι θύειν. ### English translation (Claude) For when a second attack was made against us by Maximin, in the third year of the persecution against us, and letters of the tyrant were first circulated that all the people without exception should sacrifice with the care and diligence of the city magistrates, and heralds throughout the whole city of Caesarea were summoning men with women and children to the temples of the idols by the governor's order, and in addition the tribunes were calling each one by name from a list, and an unspeakable flood of evils was poured out everywhere, the man of whom we speak, fearlessly, with no one knowing what he was about to do, slipping away from us who lived with him in the house and from the whole military band around the governor, went up to Urbanus as he was pouring a libation, and, fearlessly taking hold of his right hand, at once stopped him from sacrificing, and with a divine composure urged him very persuasively to cease from his error; for it was not right to abandon the one and only true God and to sacrifice to idols and demons. ### Translation notes - A stray closing bracket after παρῄνει in the digital text is removed. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 4.8 (Dindorf 4:390–391; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/4-8). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 4.9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-4-9 - Source: Dindorf 4:391 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: His act showed that true Christians not only withstand threats but boldly call their persecutors to the true God. ### Greek text τοῦτο δʼ, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἐνεχειρεῖτο τῷ μειρακίῳ, τῆς ἐπὶ τοῦτʼ αὐτὸν προαγούσης ἐνθέου δυνάμεως μονονουχὶ διὰ τοῦ γενομένου βοώσης ὡς ἄρα τοσοῦτον ἀποδέοιεν Χριστιανοὶ, οἵ γε ὄντως τοιοῦτοι, ἧς ἅπαξ ἠξιώθησαν εἰς τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεὸν εὐσεβείας μεταβάλλεσθαι ὡς μὴ μόνον ὑπεράνω καθίστασθαι τῶν ἀπειλῶν καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ ταύταις κολαστηρίων, παρρησιάζεσθαι δʼ εἰσέτι μᾶλλον, εὐγενεῖ τε καὶ ἀτρόμῳ γλώττῃ ἐλευθεροστομεῖν, καὶ, εἰ οἷόν τε, καὶ τοὺς διώκοντας αὐτοὺς μεταθεμένους τῆς ἀγνωσίας τὸν μόνον ὄντα θεὸν ἐπιγνῶναι παρακαλεῖν. ### English translation (Claude) This, it seems, was undertaken by the youth because the divine power that led him on to it all but cried out through the deed that Christians, those who are truly such, are so far from abandoning the godliness toward the God of the universe of which they have once been counted worthy, that they not only rise above threats and the punishments that follow them, but speak still more boldly, speak freely with noble and fearless tongue, and, if possible, urge even their persecutors to turn from their ignorance and acknowledge the only true God. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 4.9 (Dindorf 4:391; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/4-9). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 4.10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-4-10 - Source: Dindorf 4:391 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Apphianus was beaten by the governor's men and imprisoned. ### Greek text ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ περὶ οὗ ὁ λόγος, παραχρῆμα μὲν, ὅσα εἰκὸς αὐτὸν, ὡσὰν ἐπὶ τοιούτῳ τολμήματι θηρῶν δίκην ἀγρίων πρὸς τῶν ἀμφὶ τὸν ἡγεμόνα διασπαραχθεὶς, καὶ μυρίας καθʼ ὅλου τοῦ σώματος πληγὰς ἀνδρειότατα ὑπομείνας, τέως μὲν αὐτίκα δεσμωτηρίῳ παραδίδοται. ### English translation (Claude) Upon this the one of whom we speak was at once, as was to be expected for so daring a deed, torn like wild beasts by those around the governor, and after enduring most bravely countless blows over his whole body, he was immediately handed over to prison for the time. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 4.10 (Dindorf 4:391; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/4-10). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 4.11 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-4-11 - Source: Dindorf 4:391 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Tortured to force him to sacrifice, he was scraped to the bone and beaten beyond recognition. ### Greek text ἔνθα νυχθήμερον ἄμφω τὼ πόδε ἐπὶ τοῦ βασανιστικοῦ διαταθεὶς ξύλου τῇ ἐπιούσῃ προσάγεται τῷ δικαστῇ· εἶτα θύειν ἐκβιαζομένου πᾶσαν ἐνδείκνυται πρὸς πόνους καὶ φρικτὰς ἀλγηδόνας καρτερίαν, τὰς πλευρὰς οὐχ ἅπαξ οὐδὲ δεύτερον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλεονάκις ἄχρις ὀστέων καὶ αὐτῶν σπλάγχνων καταξανθεὶς, πληγάς τε κατὰ προσώπου καὶ αὐχένος τοσαύτας δεξάμενος, ὡς μηδʼ ὑπὸ τῶν εὖ καὶ ἀκριβῶς αὐτὸν πάλαι εἰδότων, διοιδήσαντα τὸ πρόσωπον, ἔτι γινώσκεσθαι. ### English translation (Claude) There, after being stretched by both feet in the torturing stocks for a night and a day, he was brought before the judge the next day. Then, when the judge tried to force him to sacrifice, he showed every endurance in pains and terrible agonies, his sides being scraped not once or twice but many times, to the bones and the very inward parts, and receiving so many blows on the face and neck that, because his face was swollen, he could no longer be recognized even by those who had known him well for a long time. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 4.11 (Dindorf 4:391; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/4-11). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 4.12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-4-12 - Source: Dindorf 4:391–392 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: His feet were wrapped in oiled linen and burned. ### Greek text ἀλλὰ γὰρ μηδὲ πρὸς τὰ τοσαῦτα ἐνδιδόντος, λίνοις ἐλαίῳ δεδευμένοις τὼ πόδε αὐτοῦ καλύψαντες πῦρ ὑφῆπτον ἐκ προστάξεως οἱ βασανισταὶ, ἐφʼ οἷς ὁποίας ἤνεγκεν ὁ μακάριος ἀλγηδόνας πάντα λόγον ὑπεραίρειν μοι δοκῶ. καθίκετο γοῦν αὐτοῦ διατῆξαν τὰς σάρκας καὶ τῶν ὀστέων τὸ πῦρ, ὡς κηροῦ δίκην λείβεσθαι καὶ ἀποστάζειν ἐκτηκομένην τὴν ἰκμάδα τοῦ σώματος. ### English translation (Claude) But since he did not give way even under so much, the torturers by order wrapped his feet in linen soaked in oil and set fire to them. What pains the blessed man bore under this, I think, exceeds all description. The fire reached through, melting his flesh and his bones, so that the moisture of his body melted and dripped like wax. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 4.12 (Dindorf 4:391–392; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/4-12). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 4.13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-4-13 - Source: Dindorf 4:392 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Still unyielding, he was thrown into the sea on the third day. ### Greek text ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐδὲ πρὸς ταῦτα ἐνδοὺς, ἡττημένων ἤδη καὶ μόνον οὐκ ἀπειρηκότων πρὸς τὴν ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον καρτερίαν αὐτοῦ τῶν ἀντιπάλων, δεσμοῖς εἴρυνυται, τριταῖός τε αὖ προσαχθεὶς τῷ δικαστῇ καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ὁμολογήσας πρόθεσιν, καίτοιγε λοιπὸν ἡμιθνὴς ὑπάρχων, ὑποβρύχιος θαλάττῃ παραδίδοται. ### English translation (Claude) But since he did not give way even to this, and his adversaries were now defeated and all but exhausted before his superhuman endurance, he was shut up in bonds; and when he was brought before the judge again on the third day and confessed the same resolve, although he was by now half-dead, he was cast into the depths of the sea. ### Translation notes - The text reads εἴρυνυται, a slip for εἵργνυται ('he was shut up'); translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 4.13 (Dindorf 4:392; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/4-13). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 4.14 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-4-14 - Source: Dindorf 4:392 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Eusebius insists on telling the following wonder, witnessed by all Caesarea. ### Greek text τὰ δʼ ἐπὶ τούτοις παραχρῆμα γενόμενα ῥηθέντα μὲν οὐκ ἀπεικὸς παρὰ τοῖς μὴ ὄψει παρειληφόσιν ἀπιστηθήσεσθαι, ἡμὰς δʼ οὖν καίπερ τοῦτʼ ἀκριβῶς εἰδότας οὐχ αἱρεῖ λόγος μὴ οὐχὶ ἐκ παντὸς παραδοῦναι τῷ λόγῳ τὴν ἱστορίαν, τῷ καὶ μάρτυρας εἶναι τοῦ γεγενημένου ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν ἅπαντας τοὺς τὴν Καισάρειαν οἰκοῦντας. οὐδεμία γοῦν ἡλικία τῆς παραδόξου ταύτης ἀπελείφθη θέας. ### English translation (Claude) What happened immediately after this, when told, will probably not be believed by those who did not see it. Yet although we know this well, reason does not allow us not to hand on the account in full, since, simply put, all the inhabitants of Caesarea are witnesses of what happened; indeed no age was absent from this marvellous sight. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 4.14 (Dindorf 4:392; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/4-14). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 4.15 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-4-15 - Source: Dindorf 4:392 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: An earthquake shook Caesarea and the sea cast Apphianus's body before the city gates, on Friday 2 April. ### Greek text αὐτίκα γοῦν ὡς ἐδόκει μάλιστα κατὰ μέσου πελάγους ἐν ἀπείροις βυθοῖς τὸν ἱερὸν ὄντως ἐκεῖνον καὶ τρισμακάριον ἐμβαλεῖν, κλόνος ἀθρόως οὐχ ὁ τυχὼν καὶ βρασμὸς αὐτήν τε τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ τὸ περιέχον ἅπαν διαχεῖ, ὡς καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἅπασαν πρὸς τοῦ γενομένου σεισθῆναι. ἅμα δὲ τῷ παραδόξῳ τούτῳ καὶ ἀθρόῳ σεισμῷ τοῦ θείου μάρτυρος τὸν νεκρὸν ἡ θάλαττα, ὥσπερ μὴ οἵα τε οὖσα φέρειν αὐτὸν, πρὸ τῶν τῆς πόλεως ἐκβράσσει πυλῶν. καὶ τοιαῦτα μὲν ἦν τὰ κατὰ τὸν θεσπέσιον Ἀπφιανὸν, Ξανθικοῦ μηνὸς δευτέρᾳ, ἥτις ἂν εἴη πρὸ τεσσάρων Νώνων Ἀπριλλίων, ἡμέρᾳ παρασκευῆς τελειωθέντα. ### English translation (Claude) For as soon as they seemed to have cast that truly holy and thrice-blessed man into the boundless depths in the middle of the sea, a sudden and extraordinary commotion and surging convulsed the sea itself and all the surroundings, so that the land and the whole city were shaken by what happened. And together with this marvellous and sudden earthquake, the sea, as though unable to bear him, cast up the body of the divine martyr before the gates of the city. Such were the events concerning the godly Apphianus, accomplished on the second of the month Xanthicus, which would be the fourth day before the Nones of April, on the day of preparation. ### Translation notes - 'Day of preparation' is Friday. 2 April 306. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 4.15 (Dindorf 4:392; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/4-15). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 5.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-5-1 - Source: Dindorf 4:392–393 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Ulpian of Tyre was sewn in an ox-hide with a dog and an asp and drowned. ### Greek text Ὑπὸ δὴ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν αὐταῖς τε ἡμέραις, ἐπὶ τῆς Τυρίων πόλεως νεανίας Οὐλπιανὸς ὄνομα, μετὰ δεινὰς καὶ αὐτὸς αἰκίας, μάστιγάς τε χαλεπωτάτας, ἅμα κυνὶ καὶ ἀσπίδι, τῷ ἰοβόλῳ ἑρπετῷ, ὠμοβοίνῃ περιβληθεὶς δορᾷ, θαλάττῃ παραδίδοται. διό μοι δοκεῖ ἐν τοῖς Ἀπφιανοῦ μαρτυρίοις ἂν ἡμῖν μνημονεύεσθαι καὶ οὗτος. ### English translation (Claude) About the same time and in those very days, in the city of Tyre, a young man named Ulpian, after terrible tortures of his own and most severe scourgings, was wrapped in a raw ox-hide together with a dog and an asp, the venomous serpent, and cast into the sea. For this reason I think he too should be remembered by us in connection with the martyrdom of Apphianus. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 5.1 (Dindorf 4:392–393; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/5-1). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 5.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-5-2 - Source: Dindorf 4:393 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Aedesius, Apphianus's brother, a learned philosopher, endured many confessions and was sent to the mines. ### Greek text ἀδελφὰ δὲ τῷ Ἀπφιανῷ σμικρὸν τῷ χρόνῳ ὕστερον ὁ μὴ μόνον αὐτοῦ κατὰ θεὸν, καὶ σώματι δὲ ὁμοπάτριος ἀδελφὸς Αἰδέσιος, μετὰ μυρίας ὅσας ὁμολογίας καὶ πολυχρονίους δεσμῶν κακώσεις ἡγεμονικάς τε ἀποφάσεις, ἐν αἷς τοῖς κατὰ Παλαιστίνην δέδοται μετάλλοις, καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις φιλόσοφον ἐν τρίβωνος σχήματι ἀγωγὴν, καὶ γὰρ οὖν αὐτὸς πλέον τῆς τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ παιδείας κεκτημένος καὶ ἀπὸ μαθημάτων φιλοσόφων ὡρμᾶτο), ### English translation (Claude) A little later Aedesius, brother of Apphianus not only according to God but also in the body, born of the same father, suffered things akin to Apphianus. After countless confessions and long ill-treatment in bonds, and sentences of the governor by which he was handed over to the mines of Palestine, and after conducting himself throughout all these in the philosophic manner, in the garb of the philosopher's cloak (for he had acquired more education than his brother and had set out from philosophical studies), ### Translation notes - The sentence continues in 5.3. The digital text lacks the opening parenthesis before 'for he had'. The text reads δέσοται, a slip for δέδοται ('was handed over'). ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 5.2 (Dindorf 4:393; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/5-2). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 5.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-5-3 - Source: Dindorf 4:393 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: At Alexandria Aedesius publicly shamed a judge who handed Christian virgins to brothels, and was tortured and drowned. ### Greek text τελευτῶν δῆτα ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀλεξανδρέων πόλεως τὸν αὐτόθι συνιδὼν δικαστὴν Χριστιανοῖς δικάζοντα, πέρα τε τῶν προσηκόντων ἐμπαροινοῦντα, καὶ τοτὲ μὲν σεμνοῖς ἀνδράσι ποικίλως ἐνυβρίζοντα, τοτὲ δὲ γυναῖκας σωφροσύνης τῆς ἀνωτάτω καὶ αὐτοπαρθένους ἀσκητρίας εἰς αἰσχρὰς ὕβρεις πορνοτρόφοις παραδιδόντα, ταὐτὸν ἐγχειρήσας τῷ ἀδελφῷ, ὅτι δὴ ἀφόρητα εἶναι αὐτῷ τὰ γινόμενα ἐδόκει, παραστήματι θαρσαλέῳ πρόσεισι, λόγοις τε καὶ ἔργοις τὸν δικαστὴν αἰσχύνῃ καὶ ἀτιμίᾳ περιβαλὼν, κἀπὶ τούτοις καρτερῶς εὖ μάλα βασάνων πολυτρόπους ὑπομείνας αἰκίας, τὴν ἀδελφικὴν ἀπηνέγκατο θαλάττῃ παραδοθεὶς τελευτήν. ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν κατὰ τοῦτον, ὡς δʼ οὖν ἔφην, σμικρὸν τοῦ χρόνου ὕστερον τοῦτον ἐγενήθη τὸν τρόπον. ### English translation (Claude) at last, in the city of Alexandria, seeing the judge there trying Christians and behaving outrageously beyond all bounds, now insulting venerable men in various ways, now handing over women of the highest chastity and even consecrated virgins to brothel-keepers for shameful outrage, he made the same attempt as his brother. Since what was being done seemed unbearable to him, he went up with bold composure, covered the judge with shame and disgrace by words and deeds, and after enduring very steadfastly the many kinds of tortures that followed, he met the same end as his brother, being cast into the sea. But the things concerning him, as I said, happened in this way a little later. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 5.3 (Dindorf 4:393; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/5-3). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 6.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-6-1 - Source: Dindorf 4:393–394 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: On 20 November in the fourth year, during Maximin's birthday games at Caesarea, a notable martyrdom took place. ### Greek text Τετάρτῳ γε μὴν τοῦ καθʼ ἡμῶν ἔτει διωγμοῦ, πρὸ δώδεκα Καλανδῶν Δεκεμβρίων, ἣ γένοιτʼ ἂν μηνὸς Δίου εἰκάδι, προσαββάτου ἡμέρᾳ, κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν Καισάρειαν, γραφῆς ὡς ἀληθῶς ἄξιον, αὐτοῦ δὴ τοῦ τυράννου Μαξιμίνου παρόντος καὶ θέας τοῖς πλήθεσι φιλοτιμουμένου κατὰ τὴν λεγομένην αὐτοῦ γενέθλιον ἡμέραν, ἀπετελέσθη τοιοῦτον. ### English translation (Claude) In the fourth year of the persecution against us, on the twelfth day before the Kalends of December, which would be the twentieth of the month Dius, on the day before the Sabbath, in the same Caesarea, a thing truly worth recording was done, while the tyrant Maximin himself was present and providing shows for the crowds on what was called his birthday. ### Translation notes - 20 November 306, a Friday. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 6.1 (Dindorf 4:393–394; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/6-1). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 6.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-6-2 - Source: Dindorf 4:394 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Imperial shows were expected to include extraordinary spectacles. ### Greek text ἔθους τὸ πρὶν ὄντος ἐπὶ βασιλέων, εἰ καὶ ἄλλοτε, τὰς φιλοτίμους θέας πλείους τοῖς θεαταῖς ἐμπαρέχειν, θυμηδίας καινῶν καὶ ξένων τά τε συνήθη παραλλαττόντων τῶν θεαμάτων, ζῴων ἔσθʼ ὅπη τῶν ἐξ Ἰνδίας ἢ Αἰθιοπίας ἢ καὶ ἄλλοθεν εἰσκομιζομένων, ἢ καὶ ἀνδρῶν ἐντέχνοις τισὶ σωμασκίαις παραδόξους ψυχαγωγίας τοῖς ὁρῶσιν ἐνδεικνυμένων, πάντως που καὶ τότε, οἷα βασιλέως τὰς θέας παρέχοντος, πλέον τι καὶ παράδοξον χρῆν ὑπάρξαι ταῖς φιλοτιμίαις. ### English translation (Claude) It had been the custom formerly in the presence of emperors, more than at other times, to offer the spectators more lavish shows, with novel and foreign spectacles replacing the usual ones for their delight, animals being brought in from India or Ethiopia or elsewhere, or men displaying marvellous entertainments to the onlookers by skilled bodily feats; and certainly then too, since an emperor was giving the shows, there had to be something greater and more marvellous in the display. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 6.2 (Dindorf 4:394; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/6-2). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 6.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-6-3 - Source: Dindorf 4:394 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Agapius, often spared before, was brought before the emperor himself, fulfilling Christ's word that his disciples would stand before kings. ### Greek text τί τοίνυν τοῦτο ἦν; μάρτυς τοῦ καθʼ ἡμᾶς δόγματος παρήγετο εἰς μέσον, τῆς μόνης καὶ ἀληθοῦς εὐσεβείας ὑπεραγωνιζόμενος. Ἀγάπιος οὗτος ἦν, ὁ δεύτερος ἅμα τῇ Θέκλᾳ θηρσὶν ἐπὶ βορᾷ δεδόσθαι μικρῷ πρότερον δεδηλωμένος, ὃς δὴ καὶ ἄλλοτε δεσμωτηρίου τρίτον καὶ πολλάκις ἅμα κακούργοις ἐμπομπεύσας τῷ σταδίῳ, ἀεί γε μὴν κατὰ χρόνους τοῦ δικαστοῦ μετὰ τὰς ἀπειλὰς, ἤτοι κατʼ οἶκτον ἢ κατʼ ἐλπίδα τοῦ μεταθήσεσθαι τῆς προθέσεως, εἰς ἑτέρους αὐτὸν ἀγῶνας ὑπερτιθεμένου, τότε δὴ βασιλέως ἐπιπαρόντος ἤγετο, ὥσπερ ἐπίτηδες εἰς ἐκεῖνο τοῦ καιροῦ πεφυλαγμένος, ὥστʼ ἂν κἀκεῖνο τὸ σωτήριον ῥῆμα, ὃ τοῖς μαθηταῖς θείᾳ γνώσει προηγόρευεν, ὡς ἄρα καὶ ἐπὶ βασιλέων ἀχθήσονται ἕνεκεν τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν μαρτυρίας, καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ πληρωθείη. ### English translation (Claude) What, then, was this? A martyr of our teaching was brought into the midst, contending for the only true godliness. This was Agapius, who was mentioned a little earlier as the second, with Thecla, to be given as food to the beasts. He had been led out from prison in procession through the stadium with criminals three times and more, but each time the judge, after his threats, whether from pity or in hope that he would change his resolve, put him off for other contests. Now, with the emperor present, he was brought out, as though deliberately kept for that moment, so that the saving word which the Saviour in divine foreknowledge had told his disciples, that they would be brought even before kings for the sake of their witness to him, might be fulfilled in him too. ### Scripture references - Matt 10:18: allusion, high confidence - Mark 13:9: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 21:12: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - The saying is Matt 10:18 (compare Mark 13:9; Luke 21:12). ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 6.3 (Dindorf 4:394; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/6-3). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 6.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-6-4 - Source: Dindorf 4:394–395 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Agapius was brought out with a slave who had murdered his master. ### Greek text φέρεται δὴ εἴς μέσον τὸ στάδιον σὺν καί τινι κακούργῳ. φόνῳ δὲ τοῦ δεσπότου τοῦτον ἐνέχεσθαι ἔλεγον. ### English translation (Claude) So he was brought into the middle of the stadium together with a certain criminal, who, they said, was guilty of murdering his master. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 6.4 (Dindorf 4:394–395; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/6-4). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 6.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-6-5 - Source: Dindorf 4:395 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The murderer was pardoned, like Barabbas, to the crowd's applause. ### Greek text εἶθʼ ὁ μὲν τοῦ δεσπότου φονεὺς τοῖς θηρσὶ παραβληθεὶς ἐλέου καὶ φιλανθρωπίας ἠξίωτο, μονονουχὶ κατʼ αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος Βαραββᾶν. βοαῖς δʼ ἐπὶ τούτῳ καὶ εὐφημίαις τὸ πᾶν ἐξηχεῖτο θέατρον, ὡσὰν τοῦ μιαιφόνου φιλανθρώπως πρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως σεσωσμένου, τιμῆς τε καὶ ἐλευθερίας ἠξιωμένου. ### English translation (Claude) Then the murderer of his master, though thrown to the beasts, was granted mercy and kindness, almost like that Barabbas in the Saviour's time. At this the whole theatre resounded with shouts and acclamations, as though the bloodstained man had been kindly saved by the emperor and granted honour and freedom. ### Scripture references - Matt 27:15–26: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Barabbas: Matt 27:15–26 and parallels. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 6.5 (Dindorf 4:395; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/6-5). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 6.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-6-6 - Source: Dindorf 4:395 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Offered freedom if he denied his faith, Agapius declared that he suffered for God and would bear anything gladly. ### Greek text ὁ δὲ τῆς θεοσεβείας ἀθλητὴς ἀνακαλεῖται μὲν πρότερον ὑπὸ τοῦ τυράννου, εἶτα ἄρνησιν τῆς προθέσεως αἰτηθεὶς ἐπʼ ἐλευθερίας ἐπαγγελίᾳ, μεγάλῃ φωνῇ διαμαρτύρεται, μὴ φαύλης μὲν ἕνεκεν αἰτίας, εὐσεβείας δὲ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων δημιουργοῦ προθύμως καὶ μεθʼ ἡδονῆς, ὅσα δʼ ἂν ἐπάγοιτο αὐτῷ, γενναίως ὑποστήσεσθαι. ### English translation (Claude) But the athlete of godliness was first called up by the tyrant, then asked to deny his resolve on the promise of freedom. He declared with a loud voice that it was not for any base cause, but for godliness toward the Creator of the universe, that he would nobly bear, eagerly and with pleasure, whatever might be inflicted on him. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 6.6 (Dindorf 4:395; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/6-6). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 6.7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-6-7 - Source: Dindorf 4:395 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Agapius ran to the bear, survived its mauling a day, and was drowned. ### Greek text καὶ τοῦτʼ εἰπὼν ἅμα λόγῳ τοὔργον ἐπάγει, δρομαῖος ἄντικρυς ἀπολυθείσῃ κατʼ αὐτοῦ ἄρκτῳ ὑπαντιάσας, ταύτῃ τε ἑαυτὸν ἀσμενέστατα ἐπιδεδωκὼς εἰς βορὰν, μεθʼ ἣν ἔμπνους εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον αἴρεται. μίαν τε ἐνταῦθα ἐπιβιώσας ἡμέραν τῇ ἑξῆς λίθων αὐτοῦ προσαρτηθέντων τοῖς ποσὶ μέσῳ πελάγει καταποντοῦται. τοιοῦτο καὶ τὸ τοῦ Ἀγαπίου μαρτύριον. ### English translation (Claude) And having said this, he matched the deed to the word: he ran straight to meet a bear let loose against him and most gladly gave himself to it to be devoured. After this he was carried, still breathing, to the prison. He survived there one day, and on the next, stones were fastened to his feet and he was sunk in the middle of the sea. Such was the martyrdom of Agapius. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 6.7 (Dindorf 4:395; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/6-7). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 7.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-7-1 - Source: Dindorf 4:395 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: On Easter Sunday Theodosia, a young virgin of Tyre, greeted Christian prisoners and asked their prayers. ### Greek text Ἤδη δὲ καὶ εἰς πέμπτον ἔτος τοῦ διωγμοῦ παραταθέντος, μηνὸς δευτέρᾳ Ξανθικοῦ, ἥτις ἐστὶ πρὸ τεσσάρων Νώνων Ἀπριλλίων, ἐν αὐτῇ κυριακῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀναστάσεως, αὖθις ἐπὶ τῆς Καισαρείας Θεοδοσία τῶν ἀπὸ Τύρου παρθένος, πιστὸν καὶ σεμνότατον κόριον, οὐδʼ ὅλως ἐτῶν ὀκτωκαίδεκα, δεσμίοις τισὶ καὶ αὐτοῖς τὴν Χριστοῦ βασιλείαν ὁμολογοῦσι, πρό τε τοῦ δικαστηρίου καθεζομένοις, πρόσεισιν ὁμοῦ φιλοφρονουμένη, καὶ οἷα εἰκὸς ὑπὲρ τοῦ μνημονεύειν αὐτῆς πρὸς τὸν κύριον γενομένους παρακαλοῦσα. ### English translation (Claude) When the persecution had now extended into its fifth year, on the second of the month Xanthicus, which is the fourth day before the Nones of April, on the very Lord's day of our Saviour's resurrection, again at Caesarea, Theodosia, a virgin from Tyre, a faithful and most modest girl, not yet fully eighteen years old, went up to some prisoners who were themselves confessing the kingdom of Christ and were sitting before the court, both to greet them kindly and, as was natural, to ask them to remember her when they came before the Lord. ### Translation notes - 2 April 307, Easter Sunday. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 7.1 (Dindorf 4:395; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/7-1). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 7.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-7-2 - Source: Dindorf 4:395–396 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Theodosia was tortured and drowned; the prisoners were sent to the copper mines of Phaeno. ### Greek text τοῦτο δὲ πράξασαν ὥσπερ ἀνόσιόν τι καὶ ἀσεβὲς εἰργασμένην ἀφαρπάσαντες στρατιῶται ἄγουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν ἡγεμόνα. αὐτίκα δʼ οὗτος ἅτε τις ἐμμανὴς καὶ τὸν θυμὸν θηριωδέστατος δειναῖς καὶ φρικτοτάταις βασάνοις κατὰ πλευρῶν καὶ μαζῶν μέχρι καὶ αὐτῶν ὀστέων αἰκισάμενος. ἔμπνουν ἔτʼ αὐτὴν, ὅμως δʼ οὖν πρὸς ἅπαντα γεγηθότι καὶ φαιδρῷ ἱσταμένην προσώπῳ, τοῖς θαλαττίοις κύμασιν ἐμβληθῆναι προστάττει. εἶτʼ ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς μεταβὰς προστάττει. τοῖς κατὰ Φαίνω τῆς Παλαιστίνης χαλκοῦ μετάλλοις τοὺς πάντας παραδίδωσιν. ### English translation (Claude) When she had done this, soldiers seized her as though she had committed something unholy and impious, and brought her to the governor. He at once, like a madman and most savage in temper, tormented her with terrible and most horrible tortures on her sides and breasts, even to the very bones; and while she was still breathing, yet standing through it all with a joyful and radiant face, he ordered her to be thrown into the waves of the sea. Then, passing from her to the rest, he handed them all over to the copper mines at Phaeno in Palestine. ### Translation notes - The digital text repeats 'he orders' (προστάττει) before the clause about the mines; translated once. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 7.2 (Dindorf 4:395–396; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/7-2). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 7.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-7-3 - Source: Dindorf 4:396 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Silvanus, then a presbyter, later bishop and martyr, and his companions were lamed and sent to the copper mines. ### Greek text ἐπὶ τούτοις, Δίου μηνὸς πέμπτῃ, κατὰ δὲ Ῥωμαίους Νώναις ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς πόλεως τοὺς ἀμφὶ Σιλβανὸν, ἔτι δὴ τότε ὄντα πρεσβύτερον ὁμολογήσαντα, ὃν οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν ὕστερον ἐπισκοπῇ τιμηθῆναί τε καὶ μαρτυρίῳ συνέβη τελειωθῆναι, γενναιοτάτην ἔνστασιν τὴν ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας ἐπιδειξαμένους τοῖς εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ χαλκοῦ μέταλλον πόνοις ὁ αὐτὸς ἐγκρίνει, καυτῆρσι πρότερον τῶν ποδῶν τὰς ἀγκύλας αὐτοῖς ἀχρειωθῆναι προστάξας. ### English translation (Claude) After this, on the fifth of the month Dius, which according to the Romans is the Nones [of November], in the same city, the same man sentenced to the labours of the same copper mine Silvanus and those with him, who had shown a most noble firmness for godliness. Silvanus was then still a presbyter who had confessed; not long after it was his lot to be honoured with the episcopate and perfected by martyrdom. The governor first ordered the sinews of their feet to be disabled with branding irons. ### Translation notes - 5 November 307. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 7.3 (Dindorf 4:396; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/7-3). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 7.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-7-4 - Source: Dindorf 4:396–397 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The governor burned Domninus, condemned others to boxing, the beasts, castration and the mines, and imprisoned Pamphilus, Eusebius's dearest friend. ### Greek text ἅμα δὲ τῇ κατὰ τούτων ἀποφάσει ἄνδρα μυρίαις ἄλλαις ὁμολογίαις διαπρέψαντα, Δομνῖνος ἦν οὗτος, ὁ διὰ περιττὴν ἐλευθερίαν τοῖς κατὰ Παλαιστίνην ἅπασι γνωριμώτατος, τῇ διὰ πυρὸς ἐκδίδωσι κολάσει· μεθʼ ὃν ὁ αὐτὸς δικαστὴς, δεινὸς ἐπινοητής τις ὢν κακίας, καὶ τῶν κατὰ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ διδασκαλίας ἐπιχειρημάτων καινουργὸς, τὰς μηδʼ ἀκουσθείσας πώποτε κατὰ τῶν θεοσεβῶν ἐπενόει τιμωρίας, καὶ τρεῖς μὲν εἰς τὸ μονομαχεῖν ἐπὶ πυγμῇ καταδικάζει, Αὐξέντιον δὲ, σεμνὸν καὶ ἱερὸν πρεσβύτην, θηρίοις βορὰν παραδίδωσιν, ἄλλους δʼ αὖ πάλιν τελείων ἀνδρῶν φέροντας ἡλικίαν εἰς εὐνούχους ἐκτεμὼν τοῖς αὐτοῖς κατακρίνει μετάλλοις, ἑτέρους δʼ αὖ πάλιν μετὰ χαλεπὰς βασάνους δεσμωτηρίῳ καθείργνυσιν, ἐν οἷς καὶ ὁ πάντων ἐμοὶ γοῦν ποθεινότατος ἑταίρων Πάμφιλος ἦν, τῶν καθʼ ἡμᾶς μαρτύρων ἀνὴρ πάσης ἕνεκεν ἀρετῆς ἐπιδοξότατος. ### English translation (Claude) Together with the sentence against them, he gave over to the punishment by fire a man distinguished in countless other confessions, Domninus, who was best known to all in Palestine for his exceptional freedom of speech. After him the same judge, a terrible contriver of wickedness and an innovator in schemes against the teaching of Christ, devised punishments against the godly never heard of before: three he condemned to fight as boxers in single combat; Auxentius, a venerable and holy old man, he gave as food to the beasts; others again, men of full age, he made eunuchs and condemned to the same mines; still others, after severe tortures, he shut up in prison. Among these was Pamphilus, of all my companions to me at least the dearest, the most illustrious for every virtue of the martyrs of our time. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 7.4 (Dindorf 4:396–397; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/7-4). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 7.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-7-5 - Source: Dindorf 4:397 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Urbanus tested Pamphilus's learning, then tried to force him to sacrifice, and finally had him tortured. ### Greek text τούτου τὴν ἐν ῥητορικοῖς λόγοις φιλοσόφοις τε μαθήμασιν ἀπόπειραν πρότερον ὁ Οὐρβανὸς λαβὼν, εἶθʼ ὕστερον θύειν καταναγκάσας, ὡς ἀνανεύοντα καὶ μηδʼ ὅλως ἐν λόγῳ τὰς ἀπειλὰς ἐώρα τιθέμενον, τὸ πανύστατον ἀγριάνας, σφοδροτέραις αὐτὸν αἰκίζεσθαι προστάττει βασάνοις. ### English translation (Claude) Urbanus first made trial of his learning in rhetoric and philosophical studies; then afterwards he tried to compel him to sacrifice; and when he saw him refusing and taking no account at all of his threats, he finally grew savage and ordered him to be tormented with more severe tortures. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 7.5 (Dindorf 4:397; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/7-5). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 7.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-7-6 - Source: Dindorf 4:397 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: After scraping his sides, Urbanus put Pamphilus in prison with the confessors. ### Greek text καὶ δὴ ταῖς κατὰ τῶν πλευρῶν αὐτοῦ διʼ ἐπιμόνων καὶ φιλονείκων ξυστήρων ὁ θηριωδέστατος μονονουχὶ ἐμφορηθεὶς, αἰσχύνην γε μὴν ἐπὶ πᾶσι καταχεάμενος, τοῖς ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ καὶ αὐτὸν ὁμολογηταῖς καταλέγει. ### English translation (Claude) And the most savage man, having all but glutted himself with the persistent and relentless scrapings of his sides, and yet covering himself with shame in all of it, enrolled him too among the confessors in the prison. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 7.6 (Dindorf 4:397; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/7-6). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 7.7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-7-7 - Source: Dindorf 4:397–398 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Divine justice soon overtook Urbanus: stripped of office in one night, he was condemned to death by Maximin himself. ### Greek text ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ κατὰ τῶν ἁγίων ὠμότητι ὁποίας ἀμοιβῆς παρὰ τῇ θείᾳ δίκῃ τεύξεται, τοσαῦτα κατὰ τῶν Χριστοῦ μαρτύρων ἐμπαροινήσας, διαγνῶναι ῥᾴδιον ἐκ τῶν τῇδε προοιμίων, διʼ ὧν εὐθὺς καὶ οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν τοῖς κατὰ τοῦ Παμφίλου τετολμημένοις αὐτὸν ἔτι τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἐχόμενον ἡ θεία μετῆλθεν δίκη, ἀθρόως οὕτως τὸν χθὲς ἄνω που ἐφʼ ὑψηλοῦ βήματος δικάζοντα, καὶ πρὸς τοῦ στρατιωτικοῦ δορυφορούμενον στίφους. ὅλου τε τοῦ στρατιωτικοῦ ἔθνους ἐπάρχοντα, ὁμοδίαιτόν τε οἷα φίλτατον καὶ ὁμοτράπεζον αὐτῷ τῷ τυράννῳ καθεστῶτα, διὰ μιᾶς γυμνώσασα νυκτὸς, καὶ τῶν τοσούτων ἀξιωμάτων ἔρημον καταστήσασα, ἀτιμίαν τε καὶ αἰσχύνην ἐπὶ τῶν πρότερον ὡσὰν ἄρχοντα αὐτὸν τεθηπότων καταχέασα, δειλόν τε καὶ ἄνανδρον, γυναικώδεις τε προϊέμενον φωνὰς καὶ ἱκεσίας ὅλω τῷ ἔθνει, οὗ δὴ καὶ ἦρχεν, αὐτόν τε τὸν Μαξιμῖνον, ἐφʼ ᾧ τὸ πρὶν γαυριῶν ἐφρυάττετο, ὡσὰν διαφερόντως αὐτὸν τῶν δρωμένων αὐτῷ καθʼ ἡμῶν ἕνεκα στέργοντι, δικαστὴν ἀπηνῆ καὶ ὠμότατον ἐπʼ αὐτῆς τῆς Καισαρείας καταστήσασα, ὡς καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ κατʼ αὐτοῦ ψῆφον ἐξενεγκεῖν, μετὰ πολλὴν τὴν ἐφʼ οἷς ἐξηλέγχετο ἀτοπήμασιν αἰσχύνην. ### English translation (Claude) What reward he will receive from divine justice for his cruelty against the saints, after behaving so outrageously toward the martyrs of Christ, is easy to judge from the preludes here. Soon, not long after his crimes against Pamphilus, while he was still holding the governorship, divine justice overtook him. The man who only yesterday was judging on a high tribunal, guarded by a band of soldiers, governing the whole province, the intimate and table-companion of the tyrant himself as a dearest friend, it stripped in a single night and left bereft of all those honours; it poured dishonour and shame on him before those who had formerly been awed by him as a ruler; it showed him cowardly and unmanly, uttering womanish cries and supplications to the whole people over whom he had ruled; and it made Maximin himself, in whom he had formerly gloried and prided himself, as though Maximin loved him especially for what he did against us, a harsh and most cruel judge against him in Caesarea itself, so that he passed the sentence of death against him after much shame for the crimes of which he was convicted. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 7.7 (Dindorf 4:397–398; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/7-7). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 7.8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/0-1/#p-7-8 - Source: Dindorf 4:398 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Eusebius defers an account of the persecutors' ends. ### Greek text ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν ὁδοῦ πάρεργον ἡμῖν εἰρήσθω· γένοιτο δʼ ἂν προσήκων καιρὸς, ἐν ᾧ τῶν δυσσεβῶν, οἳ μάλιστα καθʼ ἡμῶν ἐστρατεύσαντο, αὐτοῦ τε τοῦ Μαξιμίνου καὶ τῶν ἀμφʼ αὐτὸν τὰ τέλη καὶ τῶν βίων τὰς καταστροφὰς ὁ λόγος ἡμῖν ἐπὶ σχολῆς περιλήψεται. ### English translation (Claude) But let this be said by us in passing. There will be a fitting time when our account will take in at leisure the ends of the impious who most warred against us, of Maximin himself and those about him, and the overthrow of their lives. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 7.8 (Dindorf 4:398; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/7-8). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 8.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-8-1 - Source: Dindorf 4:398 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Ninety-seven confessors from the porphyry mine of the Thebaid were lamed and blinded in one eye by Firmilian and sent to the mines. ### Greek text Καὶ εἰς ἕκτον δὲ ἔτος πνεύσαντος ἐπιμόνως τοῦ καθʼ ἡμῶν χειμῶνος εἶχε μὲν πρὸ τούτου τὸ καλούμενον ἐν Θηβαΐδι φερωνύμως οὗ γεννᾶται πορφυρίτου λίθου μέταλλον πλείστην ὅσην πληθὺν τῶν τῆς θεοσεβείας ὁμολογητῶν, ἐξ ὧν τρισὶ δέουσι τὸν ἀριθμὸν, ἑκατὸν ἄνδρες ἅμα γυναιξὶ καὶ κομιδῆ νηπίοις πρὸς τὸν τῆς Παλαιστίνης ἡγούμενον διαπέμπονται, οὓς τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεὸν καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν ὁμολογήσαντας, τῶν σκαιῶν ποδῶν τὰς ἀγκύλας αὐτοῖς νεύροις καυτῆρσιν ἀποτμηθῆναι, καὶ αὖ πάλιν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τοὺς δεξιοὺς πρῶτον μὲν ξίφεσιν αὐτοῖς ὑμέσι καὶ κόραις ἐκκοπῆναι, εἶτα δὲ πυρὶ διὰ καυτήρων πάμπαν εἰς ῥίζας αὐτὰς ἀχρειωθῆναι, Φιρμιλλιανὸς, ὁ τῇδε διάδοχος Οὐρβανῷ πεμφθεὶς ἡγούμενος, ὡς ἂν ἐκ βασιλικοῦ νεύματος προστάττει· κἄπειτα αὐτοὺς τοῖς κατὰ τὴν ἐπάρχιον μετάλλοις μόχθου καὶ κακοπαθείας ἕνεκεν ταλαιπωρεῖσθαι παραδίδωσιν. ### English translation (Claude) As the storm against us blew steadily into the sixth year, the mine in the Thebaid called after the porphyry stone produced there had held a very great multitude of confessors of godliness. Of these, ninety-seven men, together with women and quite small children, were sent to the governor of Palestine. When they confessed the God of the universe and Christ, Firmilian, who had been sent there as governor in succession to Urbanus, ordered, as though by imperial command, that the sinews of their left feet be cut by branding irons, and further that their right eyes first be cut out with swords, membranes and pupils together, and then be utterly destroyed to the roots by fire with branding irons; and then he handed them over to the mines of the province to suffer hardship in toil and affliction. ### Translation notes - 'Ninety-seven' renders 'a hundred less three'. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 8.1 (Dindorf 4:398; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 8.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-8-2 - Source: Dindorf 4:398–399 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The Palestinians condemned to boxing suffered the same for refusing imperial food and training. ### Greek text οὐ τούτους δὲ ἄρα μόνον τὰ τηλικαῦτα παθόντας ἤρκει παραλαβεῖν ὀφθαλμοῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ Παλαιστινῶν τοὺς ἐπὶ πυγμῇ εἰς μονομαχίας κατακεκρίσθαι μικρῷ πρόσθεν δεδηλωμένους, ἐπεὶ μήτε τὰς ἐκ τοῦ βασιλικοῦ ταμιείου τροφὰς μήτε μὴν τὰς ἐπιτηδείους τῇ πυγμῇ μελέτας ὑπέμενον. ### English translation (Claude) Nor was it enough to deprive of their eyes only these who had suffered so much; the same was done to the Palestinians too, mentioned a little earlier as condemned to fight as boxers, since they would accept neither food from the imperial treasury nor the training appropriate to boxing. ### Translation notes - The verb is compressed in the Greek; the sense is that these too lost an eye. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 8.2 (Dindorf 4:398–399; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-2). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 8.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-8-3 - Source: Dindorf 4:399 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Brought before Maximin, they endured hunger and scourging and suffered the same maiming. ### Greek text ἤδη δὲ οὐκ ἐπιτρόποις αὐτὸ μόνον οἱ δηλούμενοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῷ Μαξιμίνῳ τούτου γε ἕνεκεν παραστάντες γενναιοτάτην ἔνστασιν ὁμολογίας διὰ λιμοῦ καρτερίας καὶ μαστίγων ὑπομονῆς ἐνδειξάμενοι, τὰ ὅμοια τοῖς δηλωθεῖσι πεπόνθασι, μεθʼ ἑτέρων προστεθέντων αὐτοῖς ὁμολογητῶν αὐτῆς τῆς Καισαρείας. ### English translation (Claude) For this reason these men were brought not only before procurators but also before Maximin himself, and after showing a most noble firmness of confession through endurance of hunger and scourging, they suffered the same as those mentioned, together with other confessors of Caesarea itself who were added to them. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 8.3 (Dindorf 4:399; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-3). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 8.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-8-4 - Source: Dindorf 4:399 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Christians arrested at Gaza while assembled to read Scripture were maimed or tortured. ### Greek text ὧν κατὰ πόδας ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν θείων ἀναγνωσμάτων συγκροτήσει κατὰ τὴν Γαζαίων πόλιν ἁλόντες ἕτεροι, οἱ μὲν τὰς αὐτὰς τούτοις ὑπέμειναν κατά τε τῶν ποδῶν καὶ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν πάθας, οἱ δὲ καὶ ἔτι μείζους, φοβερωτάτων κατὰ τῶν πλευρῶν ἐπειράθησαν βασάνων. ### English translation (Claude) Immediately after them others were arrested in the city of Gaza while gathered for the reading of the divine Scriptures. Some endured the same sufferings as these in their feet and eyes; others underwent still greater ones, the most dreadful tortures on their sides. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 8.4 (Dindorf 4:399; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-4). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 8.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-8-5 - Source: Dindorf 4:399 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: A woman of Gaza, threatened with prostitution, denounced the emperor and was scourged and racked. ### Greek text ἐξ ὧν μία τις, τὸ μὲν σῶμα γυνὴ, τὸν δὲ λογισμὸν ἄρρην, πορνείας ἀπειλὴν μὴ ἐνεγκοῦσα, εἰποῦσά τι ῥῆμα κατὰ τοῦ τυράννου, ὡσὰν οὕτως ὠμοῖς δικασταῖς τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐπιτετραφότος, πρῶτον μὲν μαστίζεται, εἶτα δὲ μετέωρος ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου γενομένη τὰς πλευρὰς αἰκίζεται. ### English translation (Claude) Of these, one, a woman in body but a man in mind, would not bear the threat of being given over to sexual immorality and spoke a word against the tyrant for entrusting the government to such cruel judges; she was first scourged, then raised on the rack and her sides were tortured. ### Translation notes - 'The threat of being given over to sexual immorality' renders πορνείας ἀπειλήν, the threat of forced prostitution. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 8.5 (Dindorf 4:399; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-5). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 8.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-8-6 - Source: Dindorf 4:399–400 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Another virgin cried out from the crowd against the torture of her sister in faith and was arrested. ### Greek text ὡς δʼ ἐπιμόνως καὶ σφοδρῶς ἐκ προστάξεως τοῦ δικαστοῦ τὰς βασάνους ἐπῆγον οἱ ταύτῃ τεταγμένοι, ὑπὲρ τοὺς παρʼ Ἕλλησιν ἐκείνους μαχητὰς ἐπʼ ἐλευθερίᾳ τεθρυλημένους, μὴ βαστάσασα τὸ ἀνηλεὲς καὶ ὠμὸν καὶ ἀπάνθρωπον τῶν πραττομένων, ἄλλη τις ὁμοίως τῇ προτέρᾳ τὸν τῆς παρθενίας ἐπανῃρημένη σκοπὸν, τὸ μὲν σῶμα πάνυ γε τὸ δοκεῖν εὐτελὴς καὶ τὴν ὄψιν εὐκαταφρόνητος, ῥωμαλέα δὲ ἄλλως τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ μείζονα τοῦ σώματος τὸν λογισμὸν ἐνεστερνισμένη “καὶ μέχρι τίνος”, ἐκ μέσου τοῦ ὄχλου, ‟τὴν ἐμὴν ὠμῶς οὕτως βασανίζεις ἀδελφήν”; ἀνέκραγε πρὸς τὸν δικαστήν· ὁ δὲ πικρότερον ὑποκινηθεὶς αὐτίκα συλληφθῆναι κελεύει τὴν ἄνθρωπον. ### English translation (Claude) As those appointed for this were applying the tortures persistently and violently at the judge's order, another woman, who like the first had chosen the aim of virginity, could not bear the merciless, cruel and inhuman things being done. She was, to all appearance, quite insignificant in body and contemptible in looks, but otherwise strong in soul and holding in her breast a mind greater than her body, surpassing those fighters for freedom celebrated among the Greeks. From the middle of the crowd she cried out to the judge, "How long will you torture my sister so cruelly?" He was more bitterly provoked and at once ordered the woman to be seized. ### Translation notes - The comparison with the Greek 'fighters for freedom' is placed in the Greek next to the subject of the sentence; its reference is not certain. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 8.6 (Dindorf 4:399–400; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-6). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 8.7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-8-7 - Source: Dindorf 4:400 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Dragged to the altar, she kicked it over. ### Greek text εἶτα σύρεται εἰς μέσον, καὶ τὸ σεβάσμιον τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐπιγραψαμένη ὄνομα πρῶτον μὲν λόγοις θύειν ἀνεπείθετο, ὡς δʼ ἠπείθει, βίᾳ πρὸς τὸν βωμὸν εἵλκετο. ἡ δὲ ἀδελφὰ ἑαυτῇ πράττουσα καὶ τῆς προτέρας ἐχομένη προθυμίας ἀτρεμεῖ, καὶ θαρσαλέῳ ποδὶ λὰξ ἐντείνει τῷ βωμῷ, καὶ τὰ εἰς αὐτὸν ἄμα τῇ ἐπικειμένῃ ἀνατρέπει πυρᾷ. ### English translation (Claude) Then she was dragged into the midst, and having enrolled herself under the venerable name of the Saviour, she was first urged with words to sacrifice; and when she refused, she was dragged by force to the altar. But she, acting like her sister and keeping her former eagerness, with an unshaken and bold foot kicked the altar and overturned it, with the fire burning on it. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 8.7 (Dindorf 4:400; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-7). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 8.8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-8-8 - Source: Dindorf 4:400 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Both women were burned; the second was Valentina of Caesarea. ### Greek text ἐφʼ ᾧ θηρὸς ἀγρίου δίκην ὁ δικαστὴς ὀξυνθεὶς τὸν θυμὸν, τοσαύτας μὲν αὐτῇ πρότερον αἰκίας κατὰ τῶν πλευρῶν ἐπιτίθησιν, ὅσας οὐδενὶ τῶν πώποτε, μονονουχὶ καὶ ὠμῶν τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτῆς ἐμφορηθῆναι γλιχόμενος· ὡς δὲ κόρον αὐτῶ ἤδη τὰ τῆς μανίας ἐλάμβανεν, ἄμφω ζεύξας, αὐτήν τε ταύτην ἅμα τῇ πρὸς αὐτῆς ἀδελφῇ προσαγορευθείσῃ, τὸν διὰ πυρὸς αὐτῶν καταψηφίζεται θάνατον. τούτων ἡ μὲν προτέρα τῆς Γαζαίων χώρας ἐλέγετο, τὴν δʼ ἑτέραν ἰστέον ἀπὸ τῆς Καισαρέων ὡρμῆσθαι, τὴν πολλοῖς γνώριμον Οὐαλεντῖναν τοὔνομα. ### English translation (Claude) At this the judge, his rage sharpened like a wild beast's, first inflicted on her more tortures on her sides than on anyone ever, all but longing to glut himself on her raw flesh. When his madness had had its fill, he bound both together, this woman and the one she had called her sister, and condemned them to death by fire. Of these, the first was said to be from the district of Gaza; the other, one should know, came from Caesarea, and was known to many: her name was Valentina. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 8.8 (Dindorf 4:400; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-8). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 8.9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-8-9 - Source: Dindorf 4:400 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Paul, condemned with them, asked the executioner for a little time. ### Greek text τὸ ἐπὶ τούτῳ μαρτύριον πῶς ἂν κατʼ ἀξίαν διέλθοιμι, οὗ κατηξίωται ὁ τρισμακάριος Παῦλος, κατὰ μὲν τὴν αὐτὴν ταύταις ὥραν ὑπὸ μίαν ἀπόφασιν τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ κριθεὶς, πρὸς αὐτῇ δὲ τῇ τελειώσει τὸν ἀποτέμνειν αὐτὸν ὅσον οὔπω μέλλοντα βραχύ τι ὥρας ἐνδοῦναι αὐτῷ ἀντιβολήσας· ### English translation (Claude) How could I worthily describe the martyrdom that followed, of which the thrice-blessed Paul was counted worthy? He was condemned to death at the same hour as these women, under one sentence; and at the very moment of his perfecting he begged the man who was just about to behead him to grant him a short time. ### Translation notes - The text reads κατηξίω τᾶι, a garbled form of κατηξίωται ('was counted worthy'). ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 8.9 (Dindorf 4:400; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-9). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 8.10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-8-10 - Source: Dindorf 4:400–401 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Paul prayed for the Christians, the Jews, the Samaritans, the pagans, and the bystanders. ### Greek text οὗ τυχὼν λαμπρᾷ καὶ γεγωνῷ φωνῇ πρῶτον μὲν τὰς ὑπὲρ τῶν ὁμοεθνῶν ἐπρυτάνευε τῷ θεῷ διʼ εὐχῶν καταλλαγὰς, ᾗ τάχος ἐλευθερίαν αὐτοῖς ἐνδοθῆναι ποτνιώμενος, εἶθʼ ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἰουδαίων πρὸς τὸν θεὸν διὰ Χριστοῦ προσαγωγῆς ἠξίου, εἶθʼ ἐξῆς κατέβαινε τῷ λόγῳ, τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ Σαμαρείταις ἐπευχόμενος, καὶ τοὺς ἐν πλάνῃ δὲ καὶ ἀγνωσία θεοῦ τῶν ἐθνῶν ὄντας, εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἐλθεῖν αὐτοὺς, καὶ τὴν ἀληθῶς εὐσέβειαν ἀναλαβεῖν παρεκάλει, μηδὲ τοὺς τότε παμμιγῆ περιεστῶτας ἀτημελήτους καταλιπών· ### English translation (Claude) Having obtained it, with a clear and ringing voice he first sought from God in prayer reconciliation for his own people, imploring that freedom be granted them as soon as possible; then he asked for the Jews' approach to God through Christ; then, going on in order, he prayed for the same for the Samaritans too; and he besought that those of the nations who were in error and ignorance of God might come to knowledge of him and take up true godliness; nor did he leave unregarded the mixed crowd then standing around. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 8.10 (Dindorf 4:400–401; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-10). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 8.11 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-8-11 - Source: Dindorf 4:401 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: He prayed also for his judge, the rulers, and his executioner, that their sin not be counted against them. ### Greek text μεθʼ οὓς πάντας, ὢ τῆς πολλῆς καὶ ἀφάτου ἀνεξικακίας, καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὸν θάνατον αὐτῷ προστιμήσαντος δικαστοῦ, τῶν τε ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ἀρχόντων, ἔτι τε καὶ τοῦ ὅσον οὔπω τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτὸν ἀποτεμοῦντος, εἰς ἐπήκοον αὐτοῦ τʼ ἐκείνου καὶ τῶν παρόντων ἁπάντων, τοῦ τῶν ὅλων ἐδεῖτο θεοῦ, μηδαμῶς αὐτοῖς ἐν ἀριθμῷ γενέσθαι τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν ἁμαρτάδα παρακαλῶν. ### English translation (Claude) After all these (O the great and unspeakable forbearance!) he prayed to the God of the universe also for the judge who had sentenced him to death, and for the highest rulers, and even for the man who was about to cut off his head, in the hearing of that man and of all present, beseeching that their sin against him might in no way be counted against them. ### Scripture references - Acts 7:60: allusion, high confidence - Luke 23:34: echo, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Compare Stephen's prayer, Acts 7:60, and Luke 23:34. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 8.11 (Dindorf 4:401; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-11). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 8.12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-8-12 - Source: Dindorf 4:401 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Paul was beheaded on 25 July. ### Greek text ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα μεγάλῃ φωνῇ κατευξάμενος, καὶ μονονουχὶ τοὺς πάντας ὡσὰν ἀδίκως ἀναιρούμενος, εἰς οἶκτον ἑλκύσας καὶ δάκρυα, ᾗ νόμος αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν σχηματίσας καὶ τὸν αὐχένα γυμνὸν τῇ τοῦ ξίφους ἀποτομῇ παραδοὺς, θείῳ κατεκοσμήθη μαρτυρίῳ, μηνὸς Πανέμου πέμπτῃ καὶ εἰκάδι, ἣ λέγοιτʼ ἂν πρὸ ὀκτὼ Καλανδῶν Αὐγούστων. καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ τούσδε τοιοῦτο τέλος εἶχεν. ### English translation (Claude) Having prayed these and similar things with a loud voice, and having moved almost everyone to pity and tears as one being unjustly put to death, he composed himself as the custom is, offered his bare neck to the stroke of the sword, and was adorned with divine martyrdom, on the twenty-fifth of the month Panemus, which would be called the eighth day before the Kalends of August. Such was the end of these. ### Translation notes - 25 July 308. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 8.12 (Dindorf 4:401; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-12). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 8.13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-8-13 - Source: Dindorf 4:401 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: A hundred and thirty Egyptian confessors, maimed likewise, were sent to the mines of Palestine and Cilicia. ### Greek text οὐ μακροῦ δὲ διαδραμόντος χρόνου αὐθις ἐκ τῆς Αἰγυπτίων γῆς οἱ θαυμάσιοι τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν ὁμολογίας ἀθληταὶ τριάκοντα πρὸς ἑκατὸν, ἐκ προστάξεως Μαξιμίνου τὰς αὐτὰς τοῖς προτέροις ἐπʼ αὐτῆς Αἰγύπτου εἴς τε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ τοὺς πόδας συμφορὰς ὑποστάντες, τοῖς δεδηλωμένοις ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ μετάλλοις, οἱ δὲ τοῖς Κιλικίαν κατάκριτοι παραπέμπονται. ### English translation (Claude) Not much time had passed when again, from the land of Egypt, the wonderful athletes of the confession of Christ, a hundred and thirty, after suffering in Egypt itself by Maximin's order the same injuries to their eyes and feet as the former ones, were sent away, some to the mines in Palestine already mentioned, others condemned to those in Cilicia. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 8.13 (Dindorf 4:401; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-13). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 9.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-9-1 - Source: Dindorf 4:401–402 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Just as persecution eased, Maximin was roused against the Christians again. ### Greek text Ἐπὶ δὴ τοῖς τοσούτοις τῶν μεγαλοπρεπῶν Χριστοῦ μαρτύρων ἀνδραγαθήμασι λωφησάσης καὶ ὡσανεὶ τοῖς ἱεροῖς αὐτῶν αἵμασι τῆς τοῦ διωγμοῦ πυρκαιᾶς ἀποσβεννυμένης, ἀνέσεως τε ἤδη καὶ ἐλευθερίας τοῖς ἐπὶ Θηβαίδος εἰς τὰ αὐτόθι μέταλλα διὰ Χριστὸν καταπονουμένοις συγκεχωρημένης, μικρόν τε ἐκ καθαροῦ μελλόντων ἡμῶν ὑπαναπνεῖν ἀέρος, οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως ἔκ τινος ἀνακινήσεως πάλιν ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς ὁ τοῦ διώκειν τὴν ἐξουσίαν εἰληχὼς κατὰ Χριστιανῶν ἀνεκάετο. ### English translation (Claude) After so many brave deeds of the magnificent martyrs of Christ, the blaze of persecution had abated and was, as it were, being quenched by their holy blood; relief and freedom had already been granted to those toiling for Christ's sake in the mines of the Thebaid; and we were about to breathe a little pure air again, when, I know not how, from some stirring, the one who had been allotted the power to persecute was inflamed against the Christians anew. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 9.1 (Dindorf 4:401–402; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/9-1). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 9.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-9-2 - Source: Dindorf 4:402 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Maximin's new edict ordered temples rebuilt, universal sacrifice and eating of sacrificial food, market goods defiled, and guards at the baths. ### Greek text ἀθρόως δʼ οὖν αὖθις Μαξιμίνου διαφοιτᾷ καθʼ ἡμῶν πανταχοῦ γράμματα κατʼ ἐπαρχίαν, ἡγεμόνες τε καὶ προσέτι ὁ τῶν στρατοπέδων ἄρχειν ἐπιτεταγμένος προγράμμασι καὶ ἐπιστολαῖς καὶ δημοσίοις διατάγμασι τοὺς ἐν ἁπάσαις πόλεσι λογιστὰς ἅμα στρατηγοῖς καὶ ταβουλαρίοις ἐπέσπερχον τὸ βασιλικὸν εἰς πέρας ἄγειν πρόσταγμα, κελεῦον ὡς ἂν μετὰ σπουδῆς πάσης τῶν μὲν εἰδώλων ἀνοικοδομοῖεν τὰ πεπτωκότα, πανδημεὶ δὲ πάντας ἄνδρας ἅμα γυναιξὶ καὶ οἰκέταις καὶ αὐτοῖς ὑπομαζίοις παισὶ θύειν καὶ σπένδειν, αὐτῶν τε ἀκριβῶς τῶν ἐναγῶν ἀπογεύεσθαι θυσιῶν ἐπιμελὲς ποιοῖντο, καὶ τὰ μὲν κατʼ ἀγορὰν ὤνια ταῖς ἀπὸ τῶν θυσιῶν σπονδαῖς καταμολύνοιτο, πρόσθεν δὲ τῶν λουτρῶν ἔφεδροι κατατάσσοιντο, ὡς ἂν τοὺς ἐν τούτοις ἀποκαθαιρομένους ταῖς παμμιάροις μολύνοιεν θυσίαις. ### English translation (Claude) Suddenly, then, Maximin's letters against us were again circulated everywhere, province by province; and governors, and besides them the man appointed to command the armies, by proclamations, letters and public decrees urged the curators in all the cities, together with the magistrates and the registrars, to carry the imperial command into effect. It ordered that with all diligence they should rebuild the ruined temples of the idols; that they should see to it that all the people, men together with women and servants and even infants at the breast, should sacrifice and pour libations and actually taste of the accursed sacrifices; that the goods for sale in the market should be defiled with libations from the sacrifices; and that guards should be posted before the baths, so as to defile with the utterly foul sacrifices those who were washing themselves in them. ### Translation notes - 'Curators' (λογισταί), 'magistrates' (στρατηγοί) and 'registrars' (ταβουλάριοι) are municipal officials. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 9.2 (Dindorf 4:402; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/9-2). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 9.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-9-3 - Source: Dindorf 4:402 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Even pagans thought the measures excessive, while Christ's power gave his martyrs courage to defy them unbidden. ### Greek text τούτων δῆτα οὕτως ἐπιτελουμένων, ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς τε τῶν ἡμετέρων πλείστῃ, οἷα δὴ εἰκὸς ἢν, φροντίδι συνεχομένων, τῶν τε ἀπίστων ἐθνῶν βαρεῖαν τῶν γινομένων καὶ ὡσὰν περιττὴν ἤδη τὴν ἀτοπίαν καταμεμφομένων, προσκορῆ γὰρ καὶ φορτικὰ ταῦτα καὶ αὐτοῖς εἶναι κατεφαίνετο), μεγίστου τε χειμῶνος τοῖς πανταχῆ πᾶσιν ἐπηρτημένου, τοὔμπαλιν ἡ θεία τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν δύναμις τοῖς αὐτῆς ἀθληταῖς θάρσος τοσοῦτον ἐνέπνει ὡς μηδʼ ἐπισπωμένου τινὸς μηδʼ ἕλκοντος τὴν τῶν τοσούτων καταπατεῖν ἀπειλήν. ### English translation (Claude) While these things were being carried out in this way, and our people, as was natural, were again gripped by the greatest anxiety, and even the unbelieving pagans were blaming the harshness of what was done as now excessive and absurd (for these things seemed to them too wearisome and burdensome), and the greatest storm hung over all everywhere, on the contrary the divine power of our Saviour breathed such courage into his athletes that, though no one was drawing or dragging them, they trampled on the threats of such great powers. ### Translation notes - The digital text lacks the opening parenthesis before 'for these things'. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 9.3 (Dindorf 4:402; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/9-3). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 9.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-9-4 - Source: Dindorf 4:402–403 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Three Christians interrupted the governor's sacrifice, urging him to abandon idols. ### Greek text ὁμόσε δὴ οὖν τρεῖς συνταξάμενοι τῶν πιστῶν ἐπιπηδῶσιν εἰδώλοις θύοντι τῷ ἄρχοντι, παύσασθαι τῆς πλάνης ἐμβοώμενοι· μὴ γὰρ δὴ ἄλλον ὑπάρχειν πλὴν τοῦ τῶν ὅλων ποιητοῦ τε καὶ δημιουργοῦ θεόν. ἀνερωτώμενοι δῆτα τίνες εἶεν Χριστιανοὺς σφᾶς θαρσαλέως ὡμολόγουν. ### English translation (Claude) Three of the faithful, having joined together, rushed upon the governor as he was sacrificing to idols, crying out to him to cease from his error, for there is no other God but the Maker and Creator of the universe. When asked who they were, they boldly confessed themselves Christians. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 9.4 (Dindorf 4:402–403; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/9-4). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 9.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-9-5 - Source: Dindorf 4:403 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Firmilian had Antoninus, Zebinas and Germanus beheaded on 13 November. ### Greek text ἐφʼ οἷς ὀξύτερον παρακινηθεὶς ὁ Φιρμιλλιανὸς, μηδὲ βασάνοις αὐτοὺς αἰκισάμενος κεφαλικῇ παραδίδωσι κολάσει. τούτων ὁ μὲν πρεσβύτερος ἦν, Ἀντωνῖνος ὄνομα, ὁ δὲ Ζεβινᾶς ἐκαλεῖτο, τῆς Ἐλευθεροπολιτῶν ὁρμώμενος, Γερμανὸς δὲ καὶ τῷ τρίτῳ ἦν ἡ προσηγορία. Δίου μηνὸς τρισκαιδεκάτῃ, Εἰδοῖς Νοεμβρίαις καὶ τὰ κατὰ τούτους ἐπράχθη. ### English translation (Claude) At this Firmilian was more sharply provoked, and without even tormenting them with tortures he gave them over to capital punishment. Of these, the elder was named Antoninus; another was called Zebinas, from Eleutheropolis; and the third bore the name Germanus. Their martyrdom was accomplished on the thirteenth of the month Dius, the Ides of November. ### Translation notes - 'The elder' (ὁ πρεσβύτερος) may mean 'the presbyter'; the Greek allows either. - 13 November 308. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 9.5 (Dindorf 4:403; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/9-5). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 9.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-9-6 - Source: Dindorf 4:403 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: On the same day Ennathas of Scythopolis, who had been dragged to court, was martyred with them. ### Greek text γίνεται δʼ οὖν αὐτοῖς συναπόδημος ἐπʼ αὐτῆς ἡμέρας Ἐνναθὰς τῶν ἀπὸ Σκυθοπόλεώς τις γυνὴ, στέμματι καὶ αὐτὴ κεκοσμημένη, οὐ ταὐτὸν μὲν αὐτοῖς διαπραξαμένη, ἑλχθεῖσα δὲ βίᾳ καὶ προσαχθεῖσα τῷ δικαστῇ. ### English translation (Claude) On the same day a woman from Scythopolis, Ennathas, became their companion on the journey, she too adorned with a crown. She had not done the same as they, but had been dragged by force and brought before the judge. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 9.6 (Dindorf 4:403; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/9-6). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 9.7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-9-7 - Source: Dindorf 4:403 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The tribune Maxys, without authority, stripped Ennathas and had her whipped through the markets of Caesarea. ### Greek text μετὰ μάστιγας οὖν καὶ δεινὰς ὕβρεις, ἃς ἐπήγαγεν αὐτῇ, οὐδὲ μετὰ γνώμης τῆς μείζονος ἐξουσίας, τῶν κατὰ γειτνίαν ἐφεστώτων τις χιλιάρχων ἐτόλμα, Μάξυς ὄνομα, χείρων τῆς προσηγορίας ἄνθρωπος, μιαρὸς μὲν τὰ ἄλλα, ἰσχυρὸς δʼ ὑπερβαλλόντως τὸ ἦθος, καὶ τὸν πάντα τρόπον δεινός τις ὄντως καὶ παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς γνωρίμοις διαβεβλημένος, οὗτος μέν γε ἐσθῆτος ἁπάσης τὴν μακαρίαν ἀποδύσας, ὡς τὴν ἐξ ὀσφύος αὐτὸ μόνον καὶ ἐπὶ πόδας καλύπτεσθαι, τὸ δʼ ἄλλο σῶμα γυμνὸν ἔχειν, τήν τε πάσαν Καισαρέων πόλιν κύκλῳ περιαγαγὼν, ἱμᾶσιν ἀνὰ πάσας ἑλκομένην τὰς ἀγορὰς τύπτεσθαι περὶ πολλοῦ ποιεῖται. ### English translation (Claude) After scourgings and terrible outrages, which one of the tribunes stationed in the neighbourhood dared to inflict on her even without the consent of the higher authority, a man named Maxys, worse than his name, foul in other respects, exceedingly violent in character, truly terrible in every way and in ill repute with all who knew him, this man stripped the blessed woman of all her clothing, so that she was covered only from the waist to the feet and the rest of her body was bare; and he made a great point of leading her around the whole city of Caesarea and having her beaten with thongs as she was dragged through all the market-places. ### Translation notes - 'Worse than his name': the name Maxys perhaps suggests 'greatest' (Maximus); the play is uncertain. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 9.7 (Dindorf 4:403; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/9-7). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 9.8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-9-8 - Source: Dindorf 4:403–404 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Ennathas was burned alive, and the judge denied burial to the martyrs' bodies. ### Greek text καὶ δὴ μετὰ τοσαῦτα θαρσαλεωτάτην ἔνστασιν καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτῶν τῶν ἡγεμονικῶν βημάτων ἐνδειξαμένην ζῶσαν πυρὶ παραδίδωσιν ὁ δικαστὴς, ὃς καὶ τὸ ἀπάνθρωπον ἐπιτείνας τὴν κατὰ τῶν θεοσεβῶν λύτταν πέρα τῶν τῆς φύσεως προῄει θεσμῶν, οὐδὲ ταφῆς αἰδούμενος ἀψύχοις φθονῆσαι τοῖς τῶν ἱερῶν ἀνδρῶν σώμασι. ### English translation (Claude) After all this, when she had shown a most daring firmness at the very tribunal of the governor, the judge gave her over alive to the fire. He also, intensifying his inhuman rage against the godly, went beyond the laws of nature, and was not ashamed to grudge burial to the lifeless bodies of the holy men. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 9.8 (Dindorf 4:403–404; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/9-8). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 9.9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-9-9 - Source: Dindorf 4:404 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The bodies were guarded in the open to be devoured by beasts and birds. ### Greek text νύκτωρ δʼ οὖν ἐπιμελῶς καὶ μεθʼ ἡμέραν ὑπαίθρους θηρσὶν εἰς βορὰν τοὺς νεκροὺς φυλάττεσθαι προστάττει. καὶ παρῆν ὁρᾶν ἐπὶ πλείοσιν ἡμέραις οὐκ ὀλίγον ἀνδρῶν ἀριθμὸν τῇ θηριώδει ταύτῃ καὶ βαρβάρῳ βουλῇ διακονουμένων. ἀλλʼ οἱ μὲν ἐξ ἐπόπτου, οἷόν τι σπουδῆς ἄξιον, ὡς μὴ οἱ νεκροὶ κλαπεῖεν, ἐπεσκόπουν, θῆρες δὲ ἄγριοι καὶ κύνες, οἰωνῶν τε τὰ σαρκοβόρα τὰ βρότεια μέλη ὧδε κἀκεῖσε ἐσπάραττον. ### English translation (Claude) He ordered that the corpses be guarded carefully night and day in the open air as food for beasts. And for many days one could see no small number of men serving this beastly and barbarous decision. Some kept watch from a lookout, as though it were something worth their zeal, so that the corpses should not be stolen; while wild beasts and dogs and carrion birds tore the human limbs here and there. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 9.9 (Dindorf 4:404; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/9-9). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 9.10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-9-10 - Source: Dindorf 4:404 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The city was strewn with human remains, horrifying even enemies of the Christians. ### Greek text καὶ ἡ πᾶσά γε μὴν ἐν κύκλῳ πόλις σπλάγχνων καὶ ὀστέων ἀνθρωπείων διεστόρνυτο, ὡς μηδέ τι πώποτε δεινότερον μηδʼ αὐτοῖς, ὅσοι πρότερον ἀπεχθῶς εἶχον πρὸς ἡμᾶς, φανῆναι φρικωδέστερον, οὐχ οὕτω τὴν συμφορὰν εἰς οὓς ἐπράττετο ταῦτα, ὡς ἐπὶ τῇ σφῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τῆς κοινῆς ἁπάντων ὕβρει φύσεως ἀπολοφυρομένων. ### English translation (Claude) And the whole city round about was strewn with human entrails and bones, so that nothing ever seemed more terrible and horrifying even to those who had formerly been hostile to us; they lamented not so much the misfortune of those to whom this was done as the outrage against themselves and against the common nature of all. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 9.10 (Dindorf 4:404; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/9-10). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 9.11 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-9-11 - Source: Dindorf 4:404 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Remains lay scattered by the gates and even inside the city. ### Greek text προύκειτο γὰρ ἄγχιστα πυλῶν, θέαμα παντὸς λόγου καὶ τραγικῆς ἀκοῆς μεῖζον, οὐκ ἐφʼ ἐνὶ χώρῳ κατεσθιομένων τῶν ἀνθρωπείων σαρκῶν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ πάντα τόπον διαρριπτουμένων. μέλη γοῦν καὶ σάρκας ὅλας, μέρη τέ τινα σπλάγχνων καὶ πυλῶν εἴσω τινὲς κατιδεῖν εἰρήκασιν. ### English translation (Claude) For close to the gates there lay a sight beyond all description and tragic report: human flesh devoured not in one place but scattered everywhere. Some said they had seen limbs and whole pieces of flesh and parts of entrails even inside the gates. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 9.11 (Dindorf 4:404; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/9-11). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 9.12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-9-12 - Source: Dindorf 4:404–405 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: On a clear day the city's columns dripped and the streets grew wet, as if the earth wept at the outrage. ### Greek text ἐφʼ οἷς πλείσταις ἡμέραις ἐπιτελουμένοις τοιοῦτόν τι παράδοξον συμβαίνει. αἰθρία ἦν καὶ λαμπρὸς ἀὴρ καὶ τοῦ περιέχοντος κατάστασις εὐδιεινοτάτη. εἶτα ἀθρόως τῶν ἀνὰ τὴν πόλιν κιόνων, οἱ τὰς δημοσίας ὑπήρειδον στοὰς, δακρύων τινὰ τρόπον οἱ πλείους σταλαγμοὺς ἀπέσταζον, ἀγοραί τε καὶ πλατεῖαι, μηδεμιᾶς ψεκάδος ἐξ ἀέρος γεγενημένης, οὐκ οἶδʼ ὁπόθεν ὕδατι ῥανθεῖσαι καθυγραίνοντο, ὡς αὐτίκα διαθρυληθῆναι εἰς πάντας δακρῦσαι τὴν γῆν ἀρρήτῳ λόγῳ, τὴν τῶν τότε πραχθέντων ἀνοσιουργίαν μὴ φέρουσαν, εἰς ἔλεγχόν τε φύσεως ἀτέγκτου καὶ ἀσυμπαθοῦς ἀνθρώπων λίθους καὶ τὴν ἄψυχον ὕλην ἐπικλαῦσαι τοῖς γεγενημένοις. ### English translation (Claude) When this had gone on for very many days, a marvellous thing happened. The sky was clear, the air bright, and the state of the atmosphere most serene. Then suddenly most of the columns throughout the city that supported the public porticoes let fall drops like tears, and the market-places and streets, though no drop of rain had come from the air, became wet, sprinkled with water from I know not where; so that at once it was reported to all that the earth had wept in an inexpressible way, not bearing the impiety of what was then done, and that, to rebuke the hard and unfeeling nature of human beings, stones and lifeless matter had wept over what had happened. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 9.12 (Dindorf 4:404–405; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/9-12). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 9.13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-9-13 - Source: Dindorf 4:405 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Eusebius admits later readers may doubt the wonder, but contemporaries knew it true. ### Greek text λῆρος ἴσως καὶ μῦθος εὖ οἶδʼ ὅτι δόξειεν εἶναι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῖς μεθʼ ἡμᾶς, ἀλλʼ οὐχ οἷσπερ ὁ καιρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπιστώσατο. ### English translation (Claude) To those after us the account may well seem nonsense and fable, I know; but not to those to whom the time itself confirmed its truth. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 9.13 (Dindorf 4:405; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/9-13). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 10.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-10-1 - Source: Dindorf 4:405 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Egyptian Christians on their way to help the Cilician confessors were arrested; some were maimed, and Ares, Promus and Elias were martyred at Ascalon. ### Greek text Τοῦ δʼ ἐπιόντος μηνὸς Ἀπελλαίου τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῃ, πρὸ δεκαεννέα Καλανδῶν Ἰαννουαρίων λέγοιτʼ ἂν, πάλιν αὖ τῶν ἀπʼ Αἰγύπτου τινὲς πρὸς τῶν ἐπὶ ταῖς πύλαις τοὺς παριόντας διερευνωμένων συλληφθέντες ἐτύγχανον δʼ οὗτοι θεραπείας ἕνεκα τῶν κατὰ Κιλικίαν ὁμολογητῶν στειλάμενοι) οἱ μὲν τὴν αὐτὴν οἷς ἔτυχον ἐξυπηρετησόμενοι κατεδέξαντο ψῆφον, ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ πόδας ἀχρειωθέντες, τρεῖς δʼ αὐτῶν ἐν Ἀσκάλωνι, ἔνθα καὶ ἐνέσχηντο, θαυμασίαν τε παράστασιν ἀνδρείας παρεσχημένοι διάφορον ἀπηνέγκαντο μαρτυρίου τέλος, ὁ μέν τις αὐτῶν πυρὶ παραδοθεὶς Ἄρης ὄνομα, οἱ δὲ τὰς κεφαλὰς ἀποτμηθέντες, Πρόμος καὶ Ἠλίας τούτοις ἢν ἡ προσηγορία. ### English translation (Claude) On the fourteenth of the following month, Apellaeus, which would be called the nineteenth day before the Kalends of January, again some of those from Egypt were arrested by those who searched passers-by at the gates (they had been sent to minister to the confessors in Cilicia). Some received the same sentence as those whom they had come to serve, being disabled in eyes and feet; but three of them, at Ascalon, where they were held, showed a wonderful display of courage and won different ends of martyrdom: one of them, named Ares, was given over to the fire, while the others, whose names were Promus and Elias, were beheaded. ### Translation notes - 14 December 308. The name Promus is as printed (other witnesses: Probus). The digital text lacks the opening parenthesis before 'they had been sent'. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 10.1 (Dindorf 4:405; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/10-1). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 10.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-10-2 - Source: Dindorf 4:405 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Peter Apselamus, an ascetic, refused pleas to spare his youth and was burned on 11 January. ### Greek text Αὐδυναίου δὲ μηνὸς ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ καὶ δεκάτῃ, εἴη δʼ ἂν ἡ πρὸ τριῶν Εἰδῶν Ἰαννουαρίων, ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς Καισαρείας Πέτρος ἀσκητὴς, ὁ καὶ Ἀψέλαμος, ἀπὸ Ἀνέας κώμης τῶν ὅρων Ἐλευθεροπόλεως, διὰ πυρὸς, οἶα χρυσὸς ἀκραιφνέστατος, τῆς εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ πίστεως εὐγενεῖ λογισμῷ τὴν δοκιμὴν ἀποδέδωκε, μυρία μὲν λιπαροῦντας τόν τε δικαστὴν καὶ τοὺς ἀμφʼ αὐτὸν, ὡς ἂν ἐλεήσειέ τε αὐτὸν καὶ τῆς ἰδίας φείσαιτο νεότητός τε καὶ ἀκμῆς, ὑπεριδὼν, προτιμήσας δʼ ἁπάντων καὶ ζωῆς αὐτῆς τὴν ἐπὶ τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεὸν ἐλπίδα. ### English translation (Claude) On the eleventh day of the month Audynaeus, which would be the third day before the Ides of January, in the same Caesarea, Peter the ascetic, also called Apselamus, from the village of Anea in the territory of Eleutheropolis, gave proof through fire, like purest gold, of his faith in the Christ of God with a noble mind. He disregarded the countless entreaties of the judge and those about him to have pity on himself and spare his own youth and vigour, and preferred to all things, even to life itself, his hope in the God of the universe. ### Scripture references - 1 Pet 1:7: echo, medium confidence ### Translation notes - The image of gold tried by fire recalls 1 Pet 1:7. 11 January 309. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 10.2 (Dindorf 4:405; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/10-2). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 10.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-10-3 - Source: Dindorf 4:405–406 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Asclepius, a Marcionite bishop, was burned on the same pyre. ### Greek text τούτῳ δὲ τῆς κατὰ Μαρκίωνα πλάνης ἐπίσκοπός τις εἶναι δοκῶν Ἀσκληπιὸς, ζήλῳ μὲν, ὡς ᾤετο, εὐσεβείας, ἀλλʼ οὔτι γε τῆς κατʼ ἐπίγνωσιν, ὅμως δʼ οὖν μιᾷ καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ πυρᾷ τὸν βίον συνεξελήλυθεν. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ταύτῃ. ### English translation (Claude) With him a certain Asclepius, reputed to be a bishop of the error of Marcion, moved by zeal for godliness, as he thought, though not according to knowledge, nevertheless departed this life on one and the same pyre. But so much for these things. ### Scripture references - Rom 10:2: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - 'Zeal ... not according to knowledge' echoes Rom 10:2. Eusebius records the Marcionite's death as he wrote it. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 10.3 (Dindorf 4:405–406; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/10-3). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-1 - Source: Dindorf 4:406 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Eusebius introduces the martyrdom of Pamphilus and his eleven companions, twelve like the apostles. ### Greek text Καιρὸς δῆτα καλεῖ τὸ μέγα καὶ περιβόητον ἀνιστορῆσαι θέατρον τῶν ἀμφὶ τὸ τριπόθητον ἔμοιγε ὄνομα Παμφίλου τελειωθέντων· δώδεκα δʼ ἦσαν οἱ πάντες, προφητικοῦ τινος ἢ καὶ ἀποστολικοῦ χαρίσματος καὶ ἀριθμοῦ κατηξιωμένοι. ### English translation (Claude) The time now calls us to relate the great and famous spectacle of those who were perfected with Pamphilus, a name thrice dear to me. They were twelve in all, counted worthy of a prophetic, or rather apostolic, grace and number. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.1 (Dindorf 4:406; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-1). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-2 - Source: Dindorf 4:406 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Pamphilus, presbyter of Caesarea, excelled in renunciation, charity, and above all devotion to the Scriptures. ### Greek text ὧν ὁ κορυφαῖος καὶ τῇ τοῦ κατὰ Καισάρειαν πρεσβείου τιμῇ κεκοσμημένος μόνος ἐτύγχανεν ὁ Πάμφιλος, ἀνὴρ καὶ παρʼ ὅλον αὐτοῦ τὸν βίον πάσῃ διαπρέψας ἀρετῇ, ἀποτάξει καὶ καταφρονήσει βίου, τῇ τῆς οὐσίας εἰς ἐνδεεῖς κοινωνίᾳ, κοσμικῶν ἐλπίδων ὀλιγωρίᾳ, φιλοσόφῳ πολιτείᾳ καὶ ἀσκήσει· μάλιστα δὲ παρὰ τοὺς καθʼ ἡμᾶς πάντας διέπρεπε τῇ περὶ τὰ θεῖα λόγια γνησιωτάτῃ σπουδῇ, ἀτρύτῳ τε περὶ ἃ προύθετο φιλοπονίᾳ, καὶ τῇ περὶ τοὺς προσήκοντας καὶ πάντας τοὺς αὐτῷ πλησιάζοντας ὠφελείᾳ· ### English translation (Claude) Their leader, and the only one honoured with the rank of presbyter at Caesarea, was Pamphilus, a man who throughout his whole life excelled in every virtue: in renunciation and contempt of the world, in sharing his property with the needy, in disregard of worldly hopes, in a philosophic life and discipline. But above all of our time he excelled in a most genuine zeal for the divine oracles, in tireless industry in what he undertook, and in helpfulness to his relatives and to all who came near him. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.2 (Dindorf 4:406; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-2). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-3 - Source: Dindorf 4:406 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Eusebius refers readers to his three-book Life of Pamphilus. ### Greek text οὗ τὰ λοιπὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς κατορθώματα, μακροτέρας ὄντα διηγήσεως, ἐπʼ ἰδίας τῆς τοῦ κατʼ αὐτὸν ὑποθέσεως βίου γραφῆς ἐν τρισὶν ἤδη πρότερον ὑπομνήμασι παραδεδώκαμεν. ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἐπʼ ἐκεῖνα τοὺς φιλοτίμως καὶ ταῦτα εἰδέναι ἔχοντας ἀναπέμψαντες τὰ νῦν ἐχώμεθα τῆς κατὰ τοὺς μάρτυρας ἀκολουθίας. ### English translation (Claude) The rest of his virtuous achievements, which need a longer account, we have already set out earlier in a separate work on the subject of his life, in three books. Referring those who are eager to know them to that work, let us now keep to the sequence concerning the martyrs. ### Translation notes - Eusebius's Life of Pamphilus is lost. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.3 (Dindorf 4:406; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-3). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-4 - Source: Dindorf 4:406 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Valens, an aged deacon of Jerusalem (Aelia), knew the Scriptures by heart. ### Greek text δεύτερος μετὰ Πάμφιλον ἐπὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα παρῄει ἱεροπρεπεῖ πολιᾷ τετιμημένος Οὐάλης, τῶν ἀπὸ Αἰλίας διάκονος, αὐτῇ προσόψει σεμνότατος πρεσβύτης, τῶν θείων γραφῶν εἰ καί τις ἄλλος ἐπιστήμων· τοσαύτας γέ τοι μνήμας αὐτῶν ἐνεστέρνιστο ὡς μὴ ἐνδεῖν τῆς ἀπὸ γραμμάτων ἐντεύξεως, τῆς εἴ ποτε λάβοι γραφῆς οἵασδʼ οὖν ἀπομνημονεῦσαι διεξόδους. ### English translation (Claude) Second after Pamphilus came to the contest Valens, honoured with a venerable grey head, a deacon of Aelia, an old man most dignified in appearance, learned in the divine Scriptures if anyone was. He had stored up so much of them in memory that he did not need to consult books in order to recite from memory long passages of any part of Scripture he took up. ### Translation notes - Aelia (Aelia Capitolina) is Jerusalem. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.4 (Dindorf 4:406; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-4). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-5 - Source: Dindorf 4:406–407 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Paul of Jamnia was the third; after two years' imprisonment the arrival of Egyptian brothers led to their martyrdom. ### Greek text τρίτος ὁ θερμουργότατος καὶ τῷ πνεύματι ζέων ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰαμνιτῶν πόλεως ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐγνωρίζετο Παῦλος, πρὸ τοῦ μαρτυρίου διὰ καυτήρων ὑπομονῆς τὸν τῆς ὁμολογίας διαθλήσας ἀγῶνα. τούτοις ἐπὶ τῆς εἱρκτῆς ἐτῶν δυεῖν ὅλων χρόνον κατατρίψασιν ὑπόθεσις τοῦ μαρτυρίου γίνεται Αἰγυπτίων αὖθις ἀδελφῶν ἔφοδος, τῶν καὶ σὺν αὐτοῖς τελειωθέντων. ### English translation (Claude) Third was known among them Paul from the city of Jamnia, most fervent in action and burning in spirit, who before his martyrdom had fought out the contest of confession through endurance of branding irons. After these men had spent two whole years in prison, the occasion of their martyrdom was the arrival again of Egyptian brothers, who were also perfected with them. ### Scripture references - Rom 12:11: echo, medium confidence ### Translation notes - 'Burning in spirit' echoes Rom 12:11. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.5 (Dindorf 4:406–407; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-5). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-6 - Source: Dindorf 4:407 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Five Egyptians returning from Cilicia confessed at the gates of Caesarea and were arrested. ### Greek text τοὺς κατὰ Κιλικίαν οὗτοι μέχρι τῶν αὐτόθι μετάλλων ὁμολογητὰς προπέμψαντες ἐπαλινόστουν ἐπὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα· ὁμοίως δῆτα καὶ αὐτοὶ πρὸς αὐταῖς εἰσόδοις τῶν κατὰ Καισάρειαν πυλῶν, τίνες τε εἶεν καὶ ὁπόθεν ἀφικνούμενοι πρὸς τῶν φυλάκων βάρβαροι δέ τινες ὑπῆρχον οὗτοι τὸν τρόπον) ἀνερωτηθέντες, καὶ μηδὲν τῆς ἀληθείας ἀποκρυψάμενοι, οἷα κακοῦργοι ἐπʼ αὐτοφώρῳ ληφθέντες συνείχοντο· πέντε δʼ ἦσαν οὗτοι τὸν ### English translation (Claude) These had escorted the confessors in Cilicia as far as the mines there and were returning home. In the same way as the others, at the very entrance of the gates of Caesarea, they were asked by the guards (who were barbarous men in character) who they were and where they had come from; and hiding nothing of the truth, they were held as criminals caught in the act. They were five in number. ### Translation notes - The digital text breaks off after τὸν; 'in number' (ἀριθμόν) is supplied. It also lacks the opening parenthesis before 'who were'. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.6 (Dindorf 4:407; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-6). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-7 - Source: Dindorf 4:407 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Imprisoned, the Egyptians were brought before the judge with Pamphilus's group on 16 February. ### Greek text οἱ καὶ προσαχθέντες τῷ τυράννῳ, κἀπὶ τούτου παρρησιασάμενοι, αὐτίκα μὲν καθείργνυνται δεσμωτηρίῳ· τῇ δʼ ἐξῆς Περιτίου μηνὸς ἡμέρᾳ ἑκκαιδεκάτῃ Μαρτίου κατὰ Ῥωμαίους ἡ πρὸ δεκατεσσάρων Καλανδῶν) ἐκ προστάγματος τούτους δὴ αὐτοὺς ἅμα τοῖς ἀμφὶ τὸν Πάμφιλον δεδηλωμένοις τῷ δικαστῇ προσάγουσιν. ### English translation (Claude) Brought before the tyrant and speaking boldly before him too, they were at once shut up in prison. On the next day, the sixteenth of the month Peritius, which according to the Romans is the fourteenth day before the Kalends of March, by order they were brought before the judge, these same men together with those around Pamphilus already mentioned. ### Translation notes - The digital text places 'March' (Μαρτίου) before 'according to the Romans'; translated in its natural place. 16 February 310. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.7 (Dindorf 4:407; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-7). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-8 - Source: Dindorf 4:407–408 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The Egyptians' spokesman gave a prophet's name, as they had all taken biblical names; Firmilian then asked his homeland. ### Greek text ὃς καὶ πρῶτον τῆς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἀκαταμαχήτου ἐνστάσεως παντοίοις βασάνων εἴδεσι, μηχανῶν τε ξένων καὶ ποικίλων ἐπινοίαις πεῖραν λαμβάνει. τὸν μὲν προήγορον ἁπάντων τούτοις ἐγγυμνάσας τοῖς ἄθλοις τίς εἴη πρῶτον ἠρώτα, εἶτʼ ἀντὶ τοῦ κυρίου ὀνόματος προφητικόν τι ἐπακούσας — τοῦτο δὲ πρὸς αὐτῶν ἐγίνετο, ἀντὶ τῶν πατρόθεν αὐτοῖς ἐπιπεφημισμένων εἰδωλικῶν ὄντων, εἰ τύχοι, μετατεθεικότων ἑαυτοῖς τὰς προσηγορίας· Ἠλίαν γοῦν καὶ Ἱερεμίαν καὶ Ἠσαίαν τε καὶ Σαμουὴλ καὶ Δανιὴλ ἤκουες ἂν αὐτῶν ἐπιγραφομένων, καὶ τὸν ἐν κρυπτῷ Ἰουδαῖον γνήσιόν τε καὶ εἰλικρινῶς Ἰσραὴλ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐ μόνον ἔργοις, ἀλλὰ φωναῖς κυρίως ἐκφερομέναις ἐπιδεικνυμένων — τοιοῦτόν τι οὖν πρὸς τοῦ μάρτυρος ὄνομα ἐπακούσας ὁ Φιρμιλλιανὸς, οὐ μὴν ἐπιστήσας τῇ τοῦ ῥήματος δυνάμει, δεύτερον ἥτις αὐτοῦ πατρὶς γένοιτο ἠρώτα. ### English translation (Claude) He first made trial of the invincible firmness of the Egyptians with every kind of torture and the devices of strange and various machines. After exercising their spokesman in these contests, he first asked him who he was; and then, hearing a prophet's name instead of his own proper name (this was done by them, since in place of the idolatrous names given them by their fathers they had, it seems, changed their names for themselves; you would hear them calling themselves Elijah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Samuel and Daniel, showing themselves the Jew inwardly and the genuine and pure Israel of God not only by deeds but by names properly pronounced), Firmilian, then, hearing some such name from the martyr, but not attending to the meaning of the word, asked him next what his homeland was. ### Scripture references - Rom 2:29: allusion, high confidence - Gal 6:16: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - 'The Jew inwardly' echoes Rom 2:29; 'the Israel of God', Gal 6:16. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.8 (Dindorf 4:407–408; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-8). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-9 - Source: Dindorf 4:408 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: He named Jerusalem as his homeland, meaning the heavenly Jerusalem of Paul. ### Greek text ὁ δὲ συνῳδὸν τῇ προτέρᾳ δευτέραν ἀφίησι φωνὴν, Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἶναι λέγων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πατρίδα, ἐκείνην δῆτα νοῶν περὶ ἧς εἴρηται τῷ Παύλῳ ‟ἡ δὲ ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν, ἥτις ἐστὶν μήτηρ ἡμῶν.” καὶ “προσεληλύθατε Σιῶν ὄρει, καὶ πόλει θεοῦ ζῶντος, Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐπουρανίῳ.” ### English translation (Claude) He gave a second answer in keeping with the first, saying that Jerusalem was his homeland, meaning of course that city of which Paul said, "But the Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother," and, "You have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem." ### Scripture references - Gal 4:26: quotation, high confidence - Heb 12:22: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Gal 4:26; Heb 12:22 (attributed to Paul, as Eusebius held). ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.9 (Dindorf 4:408; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-9). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-10 - Source: Dindorf 4:408 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The judge, thinking of an earthly city, tortured him, but he insisted he had told the truth. ### Greek text καὶ ὁ μὲν ταύτην ἐνόει, ὁ δʼ ἐπὶ χθόνα καὶ χαμαὶ ῥίψας τὴν διάνοιαν, ἥτις εἴη αὕτη καὶ ποῖ γῆς κειμένη, ἀκριβῶς ἐπολυπραγμόνει, εἶτα βασάνους ἐπῆγεν, ὡς ἂν τἀληθὲς ὁμολογοίη· ὁ δὲ στρεβλούμενος κατόπιν τὼ χεῖρε, καὶ τοῖν ποδοῖν μαγγάνοις τισὶ ξένοις διακλώμενος, τἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν ἀπισχυρίζετο. ### English translation (Claude) He meant that city; but the judge, casting his thought down to the earth, inquired closely what this city was and where on earth it lay, and then applied tortures to make him confess the truth. But the man, with his hands wrenched behind his back and his feet crushed by some strange machines, insisted that he had spoken the truth. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.10 (Dindorf 4:408; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-10). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.11 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-11 - Source: Dindorf 4:408 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: He said it was the homeland of the godly alone, lying toward the sunrise. ### Greek text εἶτα πάλιν πολλάκις ἐρομένου τίς εἴη καὶ ποῖ κειμένη ἣν δὴ φράζει πόλιν, μόνων εἶναι τῶν θεοσεβῶν ταύτην ἔλεγε πατρίδα· μὴ γὰρ ἑτέροις ἢ τούτοις μόνοις αὐτῆς μετεῖναι, κεῖσθαι δὲ πρὸς αὐταῖς ἀνατολαῖς καὶ πρὸς ἀνίσχοντι ἡλίῳ. ### English translation (Claude) Then, when he asked again many times what and where the city was of which he spoke, he said that it was the homeland of the godly alone; for no others but these alone have a share in it; and it lies toward the very east and the rising sun. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.11 (Dindorf 4:408; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-11). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-12 - Source: Dindorf 4:408–409 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The martyr seemed not to feel pain, while the judge feared a Christian city hostile to Rome. ### Greek text ὁ μὲν πάλιν διὰ τούτων κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον νοῦν ἐφιλοσόφει, μηδαμῶς τῶν ἐν κύκλῳ βασάνοις αὐτὸν αἰκιζομένων ἐπιστροφὴν ποιούμενος, ἄσαρκος δʼ ὥσπερ καὶ ἀσώματος οὐδʼ ἐπαίειν δοκῶν τῶν ἀλγηδόνων· ὁ δʼ ἀπορούμενος ἐσφάδαζεν, ἐχθρὰν καὶ Ῥωμαίοις πολεμίαν πάντως που συστήσεσθαι πόλιν Χριστιανοὺς οἰόμενος, πολύς τε ἦν ταύτην ἀνερευνῶν, καὶ τὴν δηλωθεῖσαν χώραν κατʼ ἀνατολὰς ἐξετάζων. ### English translation (Claude) Again he was philosophizing by these words according to his own meaning, paying no attention to those around him who were tormenting him with tortures, but, as though without flesh or body, he seemed not even to feel the pains. The judge, perplexed, grew restless, thinking that the Christians must surely be setting up a city hostile and at war with the Romans; and he was busy searching for it and inquiring about the region named toward the east. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.12 (Dindorf 4:408–409; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-12). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-13 - Source: Dindorf 4:409 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Finding him unshaken, the judge sentenced him and the other Egyptians to death. ### Greek text ὡς δʼ ἐπὶ πλέον μάστιξι τὸν νεανίαν καταξήνας παντοίαις τε τιμωρησάμενος βασάνοις ἀπαράλλακτον τὴν ἔνστασιν τῶν πρότερον αὐτῷ ῥηθέντων ἐγίνωσκε, τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτω κατʼ αὐτοῦ κεφαλικὴν ἐκφέρει ψῆφον. τοσαύτην μὲν οὖν τὰ κατὰ τοῦτον δραματουργίαν εἰλήχει. καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς δὲ τοῖς παραπλησίοις ἄθλοις ἐγγυμνάσας τὸν ὅμοιον ἀπαλλάττει τρόπον. ### English translation (Claude) When, after tearing the young man further with scourges and punishing him with every kind of torture, he found his firmness in what he had said before unchanged, he passed against him the capital sentence of death. Such was the drama played out in his case. And having exercised the others in similar contests, he dispatched them in the same manner. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.13 (Dindorf 4:409; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-13). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.14 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-14 - Source: Dindorf 4:409 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Firmilian asked Pamphilus's group once more to obey, and on their confession condemned them likewise. ### Greek text εἶτʼ ἀποκαμὼν, διαγνούς τε εἰς μάτην τιμωρεῖσθαι τοὺς ἄνδρας, ἐπιθυμίας κόρον λαβὼν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀμφὶ τὸν Πάμφιλον μέτεισιν, ἀναδιδαχθείς τε ὡς ἤδη καὶ πρότερον διὰ βασάνων ἀμετάθετον ἐνεδείξαντο τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς πίστεως προθυμίαν, ἀνερωτήσας εἰ ἄρα εἰσέτι κἂν νῦν πειθαρχοῖεν, δεξάμενός τε αὐτὸ μόνον παρʼ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου τὴν τελευταίαν αὐτῶν τῆς κατὰ τὸ μαρτύριον ὁμολογίας φωνὴν, τὴν αὐτὴν τοῖς προτέροις ἐπάγει τιμωρίαν. ### English translation (Claude) Then, worn out and recognizing that he was punishing the men in vain, having had his fill of his desire, he went on to Pamphilus and those with him. Informed that they had already shown before, through tortures, an unchangeable zeal for the faith, he asked whether even now they would obey; and receiving from each one only the final word of his confession in martyrdom, he inflicted on them the same punishment as on the former. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.14 (Dindorf 4:409; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-14). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.15 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-15 - Source: Dindorf 4:409 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Porphyry, a young servant of Pamphilus, cried out asking for the martyrs' burial. ### Greek text τούτων ἐπὶ πέρας ἀχθέντων μειράκιον τῆς οἰκετικῆς ὑπάρχον τοῦ Παμφίλου θεραπείας, οἷα γνησίᾳ ἀνατροφῇ καὶ παιδείᾳ τοῦ τηλικούτου συνησκημένον ἀνδρὸς, ὡς ἔγνω τὴν κατὰ τοῦ δεσπότου ψῆφον, ἀπὸ μέσης τῆς πληθύος ἀναβοᾷ, γῇ τὰ σώματα παραδοθῆναι ἀξιῶν. ### English translation (Claude) When this had been carried through, a youth who belonged to Pamphilus's household servants, trained as he was by the genuine upbringing and instruction of so great a man, on learning of the sentence against his master, cried out from the middle of the crowd, asking that the bodies be given to the earth for burial. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.15 (Dindorf 4:409; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-15). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.16 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-16 - Source: Dindorf 4:409 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The judge, learning the youth was a Christian, ordered him tortured with full force. ### Greek text ὁ δʼ οὐκ ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλὰ θὴρ καὶ εἴ τι θηρὸς ἀγριώτερον, δʼ μήτε τῷ τῆς ἡλικίας ἀπονείμας νέῳ συγγνώμην, αὐτὸ μόνον ὡς ἐρωτήσας ὁμολογοῦντα Χριστιανὸν ἔμαθεν, ὥσπερ ὑπό τινος τρωθεὶς βέλους, οἰδήσας τὸν θυμὸν, ὅλῃ δυνάμει τοῖς βασανισταῖς χρῆσθαι κατʼ αὐτοῦ προστάττει. ### English translation (Claude) But the judge, not a man but a beast, and if anything more savage than a beast, granting no pardon even to the youth of his age, as soon as he learned by questioning that he confessed himself a Christian, swelled with rage as though wounded by an arrow, and ordered the torturers to use all their strength against him. ### Translation notes - The digital text has a stray δʼ before μήτε; it is left untranslated. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.16 (Dindorf 4:409; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-16). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.17 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-17 - Source: Dindorf 4:409–410 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Porphyry, refusing to sacrifice, was torn to the bone until he seemed lifeless. ### Greek text ὡς δʼ ἐπικελευομένου θύειν ἀνανεύοντα ἐώρα, οὐκέθʼ ὡς σάρκας ἀνθρώπου, ἀλλʼ ἤ λίθους ἢ ξύλα ἥ τι τῶν ἄλλων ἀψύχων, ἄχρις αὐτῶν ὀστέων καὶ τῶν ἐν βάθει καὶ ἐν μυχοῖς σπλάγχνων παραμόνως καταξαίνεσθαι κελεύει. εἰς μακρὸν δὲ τούτου γινομένου μάτην ἐγχειρεῖν διέγνω, ἀφώνου καὶ ἀνεπαισθήτου, μικροῦ δὲ δεῖν καὶ πάντη ἀψύχου τοῦ σώματος αὐτῷ ταῖς βασάνοις κατατριβομένου. ### English translation (Claude) When he saw him refusing to sacrifice at his command, he ordered him to be torn persistently, no longer as human flesh but as stones or wood or some other lifeless thing, to the very bones and the innermost recesses of the entrails. When this had gone on a long time, he recognized that he was trying in vain, since the young man's body, worn down by the tortures, was speechless and without feeling and all but wholly lifeless. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.17 (Dindorf 4:409–410; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-17). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.18 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-18 - Source: Dindorf 4:410 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Porphyry was condemned to a slow fire and died before his master Pamphilus. ### Greek text παράμονον δὲ τὸ ἀνηλεὲς καὶ ἀπάνθρωπον κεκτημένος, εὐθὺς ὡς εἶχε μακρῷ πυρὶ παραδοθῆναι αὐτὸν ἀποφαίνεται. καὶ οὗτος μὲν, πρὸ τῆς τοῦ κατὰ σάρκα δεσπότου τελειώσεως, ὕστατος ἐπὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα παρελθὼν, τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος ἀπαλλαγὴν προύλαβεν, ἔτι διαμελλόντων τῶν περὶ τοὺς προτέρους ἐσπουδακότων. ### English translation (Claude) But persisting in his pitiless and inhuman temper, he at once sentenced him, just as he was, to be given over to a slow fire. And this youth, though the last to come forward to the contest, obtained release from the body before the perfecting of his master according to the flesh, while those concerned with the earlier men were still delaying. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.18 (Dindorf 4:410; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-18). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.19 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-19 - Source: Dindorf 4:410 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Porphyry went joyfully to the pyre and died in silence after calling on Jesus the Son of God. ### Greek text ἦν δὲ ἄρα τὸν Πορφύριον ἰδεῖν, ἱερονίκου διαθέσει πάμμαχον νενικηκότος, κεκονισμένον μὲν τὸ σῶμα, φαιδρὸν δὲ τὸ πρόσωπον, θαρσαλέῳ φρονήματι καὶ γαύρῳ μετὰ τοσαῦτα τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ βαδίζοντα, καὶ θείου πνεύματος ὡς ἀληθῶς ἔμπλεων, αὐτοῦ τε φιλοσόφῳ σχήματι μόνῳ τῷ περὶ αὐτὸν ἀναβολαίῳ ἐξωμίδος τρόπον ἠμφιεσμένον, νηφαλέῳ τε λογισμῷ περὶ ὧν ἐβούλετο τοῖς γνωρίμοις ἐντελλόμενον καὶ διανεύοντα, ἐπʼ αὐτῷ τε ἰκρίῳ τὸ πρόσωπον ἔτι φαιδρὸν διατηροῦντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἁφθείσης ἔξω ἀπὸ μακροῦ ἀποστήματος κύκλῳ περὶ αὐτὸν τῆς πυρᾶς, ἐνθένδε κἀκεῖθεν ἀφαρπάζοντα τῷ στόματι τὴν φλόγα, γενναιότατά τε εἰς ἐσχάτην ἀναπνοὴν ἐγκαρτεροῦντα τῇ σιωπῇ, μετὰ μίαν τε, ἣν ἅμα καθαψαμένης αὐτοῦ τῆς φλογὸς ἀπέρρηξε, φωνὴν, τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ Ἰησοῦν βοηθὸν ἐπιβοώμενος. τοιοῦτος καὶ ὁ Πορφυρίου ἆθλος. ### English translation (Claude) One could see Porphyry, in the bearing of a victor at the sacred games who has won every kind of contest, his body covered with dust but his face radiant, walking to his death after so much with a bold and exultant spirit, truly full of the divine Spirit, clothed in the philosopher's garb alone, his cloak thrown about him like a shoulder-wrap, with a sober mind giving instructions and signs to his friends about what he wished, keeping his face still radiant on the very stake. And when the pyre was lit around him at a great distance, he snatched the flame into his mouth from this side and that, and endured most nobly in silence to his last breath, after the one cry he uttered when the flame first touched him, calling on Jesus the Son of God as his helper. Such was the contest of Porphyry. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.19 (Dindorf 4:410; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-19). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.20 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-20 - Source: Dindorf 4:410–411 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Seleucus, a former soldier, reported Porphyry's death to Pamphilus, kissed a martyr, and was at once beheaded. ### Greek text τῆς δὲ κατʼ αὐτὸν τελειώσεως ἄγγελος τῷ Παμφίλῳ γενόμενος Σέλευκος, τῶν ἀπὸ στρατείας τις ὁμολογητὴς, οἶα τηλικαύτης ἀγγελίας διάκονος, τοῦ σὺν αὐτοῖς παραχρῆμα κλήρου καταξιοῦται. αὐτίκα γάρ τοι αὐτὸν διαγγείλαντα τὸ τοῦ Πορφυρίου τέλος, τῶν τε μαρτύρων ἕνα δή τινα φιλήματι προσειπόντα, ἐπιλαβόμενοι στρατιῶταί τινες ἄγουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν ἡγεμόνα. ὁ δὲ ὥσπερ ἐπισπέρχων αὐτὸν τῷ προτέρῳ συναπόδημον τῆς εἰς οὐρανοὺς γενέσθαι πορείας, αὐτίκα κεφαλικῇ τιμωρίᾳ κολασθῆναι προστάττει. ### English translation (Claude) The messenger of his perfecting to Pamphilus was Seleucus, one of the confessors from the army; and as the servant of such a message he was at once counted worthy of the same lot with them. For as soon as he had announced the end of Porphyry and greeted one of the martyrs with a kiss, some soldiers seized him and led him to the governor. And he, as though hurrying him to become a fellow-traveller with the former on the journey to heaven, at once ordered him to be punished with death. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.20 (Dindorf 4:410–411; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-20). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.21 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-21 - Source: Dindorf 4:411 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Seleucus was a Cappadocian soldier of outstanding size and strength. ### Greek text οὗτος ἦν μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς Καππαδοκῶν γῆς, τῆς δʼ ἐν στρατείαις ἐπιλέκτου νεολαίας, καὶ τῶν ἐν Ῥωμαϊκοῖς ἀξιώμασιν οὐ μικρᾶς τιμῆς ἐπειλημμένος· ἡλικίᾳ τε γὰρ καὶ ῥώμῃ σώματος, μεγέθει τε καὶ ἰσχύι· παρὰ πλεῖστον ὅσον τοὺς συστρατιώτας ἐπλεονέκτει, ὡς καὶ τὴν πρόσοψιν αὐτῷ περιβόητον τοῖς πᾶσιν εἶναι, καὶ τὸ πᾶν εἶδος ἀξιάγαστον, μεγέθους ἕνεκα καὶ εὐμορφίας. ### English translation (Claude) He was from the land of Cappadocia, of the picked young men in military service, and had attained no small honour among Roman ranks; for in age and bodily strength, in size and might, he far surpassed his fellow soldiers, so that his appearance was famous among all and his whole form admirable for its stature and beauty. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.21 (Dindorf 4:411; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-21). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.22 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-22 - Source: Dindorf 4:411 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: After leaving the army Seleucus lived as an ascetic caring for orphans, widows, the poor and sick. ### Greek text κατʼ ἀρχὰς μὲν οὖν τοῦ διωγμοῦ διὰ μαστίγων ὑπομονῆς τοῖς κατὰ τὴν ὁμολογίαν διαπρέψας ἀγῶσι, μετὰ δὲ τὴν τῆς στρατείας ἀπαλλαγὴν ζηλωτὴν ἑαυτὸν καταστήσας τῶν τῆς θεοσεβείας ἀσκητῶν, ὀρφανῶν ἐρήμων καὶ χηρῶν ἀπεριστάτων, τῶν τε ἐν πενίαις καὶ ἀσθενείαις ἀπερριμμένων ἐπίσκοπος ὥσπερ καὶ ἐπίκουρος, πατρὸς καὶ κηδεμόνος δίκην, ἀναπέφανται, ὅθεν δὴ εἰκότʼ ὡς πρὸς τοῦ τοῖς τοιοῖσδε μᾶλλον τῶν διὰ καπνοῦ καὶ αἵματος θυσιῶν χαίροντος θεοῦ τῆς κατὰ τὸ μαρτύριον παραδόξου κλήσεως ἠξιώθη. ### English translation (Claude) At the beginning of the persecution he had distinguished himself in the contests of confession by enduring scourging; and after his release from military service he made himself an imitator of the ascetics of godliness, and was revealed as overseer and helper, like a father and guardian, of destitute orphans, widows without support, and those cast aside in poverty and sickness. Therefore, fittingly, he was counted worthy of the extraordinary call to martyrdom by God, who rejoices in such deeds more than in sacrifices offered with smoke and blood. ### Scripture references - Hos 6:6: echo, low confidence - Heb 13:16: echo, low confidence ### Translation notes - 'Overseer' renders ἐπίσκοπος in its general sense; Seleucus was not a bishop. God's delight in mercy rather than sacrifice echoes Hos 6:6 and Heb 13:16. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.22 (Dindorf 4:411; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-22). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.23 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-23 - Source: Dindorf 4:411 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Seleucus was the tenth martyr of that day, which opened the kingdom to many with Pamphilus. ### Greek text δέκατος οὗτος ἀθλητὴς ἐπὶ τοῖς δεδηλωμένοις ἐν μιᾷ καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ τετελείωτο ἡμέρᾳ, καθʼ ἣν, ὡς ἔοικε, μεγίστης τῷ Παμφίλου μαρτυρίῳ ἐπαξίως τοῦ ἀνδρὸς διανοιχθείσης πύλης εὐμαρὴς ἅμʼ αὐτῷ καὶ ἑτέροις ἡ πάροδος τῆς εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν εἰσόδου γεγένηται. ### English translation (Claude) He was the tenth athlete, in addition to those already mentioned, perfected on one and the same day, on which, it seems, a very great gate was opened for the martyrdom of Pamphilus, worthy of the man, and an easy passage of entrance into the kingdom of heaven was made for others together with him. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.23 (Dindorf 4:411; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-23). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.24 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-24 - Source: Dindorf 4:411–412 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Theodulus, an aged member of Firmilian's household, did as Seleucus and was crucified. ### Greek text κατʼ ἴχνη δῆτα τῷ Σελεύκῳ Θεόδουλος, σεμνός τις καὶ θεοσεβὴς πρεσβύτης, τῆς ἡγεμονικῆς τυγχάνων οἰκετίας, τετιμημένος τε παρὰ τῷ Φιρμιλλιανῷ πλέον τῶν κατὰ τὸν οἶκον ἁπάντων, τοῦτο μὲν τῆς ἡλικίας ἕνεκεν, καὶ τῷ τριγενείας πατέρα καθεστάναι, τοῦτο δὲ διʼ ἣν ἔσωζε περὶ αὐτοὺς εὔνοιαν καὶ πιστοτάτην συνείδησιν, τὸ παραπλήσιον τῷ Σελεύκῳ διαπραξάμενος, προσαχθεὶς τῷ δεσπότῃ καὶ μᾶλλον αὐτὸν τῶν πρότερον ὀξύνας, ταὐτὸ τοῦ σωτηρίου μαρτύριον πάθους σταυρῷ παραδοθεὶς κατεδέξατο. ### English translation (Claude) Following in the steps of Seleucus came Theodulus, a venerable and godly old man, belonging to the governor's household, honoured by Firmilian more than all in the house, both for his age and because he was a father of three generations, and for the goodwill and most faithful conscience which he kept toward them. He did the same as Seleucus, was brought before his master, provoked him more than those before, and received, being given over to the cross, the same martyrdom as the Saviour's passion. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.24 (Dindorf 4:411–412; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-24). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.25 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-25 - Source: Dindorf 4:412 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Julian, arriving from a journey, embraced and kissed the martyrs' bodies, completing the twelve. ### Greek text ἐπὶ τούτοις ἑνὸς ἔτι λείποντος, ὃ τὸν δωδέκατον ἀποπλήσοι τοῖς δηλουμένοις μάρτυσι ἀριθμὸν, Ἰουλιανὸς παρῆν τοῦτον ἀποπληρώσων ἐξ ἀποδημίας γέ τοι ἀφικόμενος αὐτίκα, καὶ μηδʼ εἰσβαλών πω τῇ πόλει, εὐθὺς ὡς εἶχεν ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ μαθὼν καὶ ὁρμήσας ἐπὶ τὴν μαρτύρων θέαν, ὡς ἐπὶ γῆς χαμαὶ τὰ τῶν ἁγίων εἶδε σκηνώματα, χαρᾶς ἔμπλεως γεγονὼς, ἑκάστῳ περιπλακεὶς, τοὺς πάντας ἠσπάζετο. ### English translation (Claude) After these, as one was still lacking to complete the twelfth place in the number of the martyrs described, Julian came to complete it. He had just arrived from a journey and had not yet entered the city; learning of it on the road, he hurried at once, just as he was, to see the martyrs; and when he saw the tabernacles of the saints lying on the ground, he was filled with joy, embraced each one, and kissed them all. ### Scripture references - 2 Pet 1:13–14: echo, low confidence ### Translation notes - 'Tabernacles' (σκηνώματα) means their bodies; compare 2 Cor 5:1, 4; 2 Pet 1:13–14. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.25 (Dindorf 4:412; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-25). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.26 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-26 - Source: Dindorf 4:412 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Julian was burned with a slow fire, thanking God for the honour. ### Greek text τοῦτο ποιοῦντα συλλαβόντες αὖθις οἱ τῶν φόνων διάκονοι προσάγουσι τῷ Φιρμιλλιανῷ. ἀκόλουθα δʼ αὑτῷ ἐπιτελῶν μακρῷ καὶ τοῦτον πυρὶ παραδίδωσιν. οὕτω δῆτα καὶ Ἰουλιανὸς σκιρτῶν καὶ ὑπεραλλόμενος, μεγάλῃ τε φωνῇ τῷ τηλικούτων αὐτὸν ἀξιώσαντι κυρίῳ ὑπερευχαριστῶν, τοῦ τῶν μαρτύρων κατηξιώθη στεφάνου. ### English translation (Claude) While he was doing this, the ministers of the murders seized him again and brought him to Firmilian. He, acting consistently with himself, gave this man too over to a slow fire. So Julian, leaping and exulting, and thanking the Lord aloud for counting him worthy of such things, was counted worthy of the martyrs' crown. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.26 (Dindorf 4:412; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-26). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.27 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-27 - Source: Dindorf 4:412 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Julian, a devout Cappadocian, completed the company of Pamphilus's fellow martyrs. ### Greek text ἦν δὲ οὗτος τὸ μὲν κατὰ σάρκα γένος Καππαδοκῶν, τὸν δὲ τρόπον εὐλαβέστατος καὶ πιστότατος καὶ γνησιώτατος, σπουδαῖός τε τὰ ἄλλα πάντα, καὶ πνέων αὐτοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος. τοιοῦτο τῆς συνοδίας τὸ στῖφος τῶν ἅμα Παμφίλῳ συνεισελθεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ μαρτύριον ἀξιωθέντων. ### English translation (Claude) He was a Cappadocian by race according to the flesh, and in character most devout, faithful and genuine, earnest in all else, and breathing the Holy Spirit himself. Such was the company of those counted worthy to enter martyrdom together with Pamphilus. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.27 (Dindorf 4:412; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-27). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.28 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-28 - Source: Dindorf 4:412–413 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The bodies, exposed four days, were untouched by any animal and were then buried. ### Greek text τούτων ἐπὶ τέσσαρας ἡμέρας τοσαύτας τε νύκτας ἐκ προστάξεως τοῦ δυσσεβοῦς ἡγουμένου τὰ ἱερὰ καὶ ὄντως ἅγια σώματα εἰς βορὰν τοῖς σαρκοβόροις ἐτηρεῖτο. ὡς δʼ οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς παραδόξως, οὐ θηρίον, οὐ πτηνὸν, οὐ κύων προσεπέλαζεν, αὖθις ἐξ οἰκονομίας τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ προνοίας ἀβλαβῆ ληφθέντα, τῆς τε προσηκούσης κηδείας λαχόντα, τῇ συνήθει παρεδόθη ταφῇ. ### English translation (Claude) By the order of the impious governor, the sacred and truly holy bodies of these men were kept for four days and as many nights as food for carrion creatures. But when, marvellously, nothing approached them, neither beast nor bird nor dog, they were taken up unharmed by the dispensation of God's providence, received fitting funeral rites, and were given the customary burial. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.28 (Dindorf 4:412–413; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-28). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.29 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-29 - Source: Dindorf 4:413 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Adrian and Eubulus, coming from Manganaea, confessed at the gate and were condemned to the beasts. ### Greek text ἔτι δὲ τῆς κατὰ τούτους κινήσεως ἀνὰ στόμα τοῖς πᾶσι λαλουμένης Ἀδριανὸς καὶ Εὔβουλος, ἀπὸ Μαγγαναίας οὕτω καλουμένης χώρας ὡς τοὺς λοιποὺς ὁμολογητὰς εἰς τὴν Καισάρειαν ἀφικόμενοι, πρὸς τῇ πύλῃ καὶ αὐτοὶ διʼ ἣν ἐληλύθασιν ἀνεκρίνοντο αἰτίαν· εἶτα ὁμολογήσαντες τἀληθὲς τῷ Φιρμιλλιανῷ προσάγονται. ὁ δʼ ὡς εἶχε, πάλιν μηδὲν ὑπερθέμενος, μετὰ πλείστας βασάνους ἃς κατὰ τῶν πλευρῶν αὐτοῖς ἐπιτέθεικε, θηρίων αὐτοὺς βορᾷ κατακρίνει. ### English translation (Claude) While the stir over these men was still on everyone's lips, Adrian and Eubulus, from the district called Manganaea, came to Caesarea to the remaining confessors; they too were questioned at the gate about the reason for their coming. Then, having confessed the truth, they were brought before Firmilian. He, as before, postponing nothing, after very many tortures applied to their sides, condemned them to be food for wild beasts. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.29 (Dindorf 4:413; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-29). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.30 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-30 - Source: Dindorf 4:413 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Adrian died on 5 March and Eubulus on 7 March, the last martyr of Caesarea. ### Greek text δυεῖν δὴ οὖν μεταξὺ διελθουσῶν ἡμερῶν ὁ μὲν Ἀδριανὸς Δύστρου πέμπτῃ μηνὸς, πρὸ τριῶν Νώνων Μαρτίων, γενεθλίων τῆς κατὰ Καισαρέων νομιζομένης Τύχης ἡμέρᾳ, λέοντι παραβληθεὶς καὶ μετὰ τοῦτον ξίφει κατασφαγεὶς ἐτελειώθη, ὁ δὲ Εὔβουλος μεθʼ ἑτέραν μέσην, Νώναις αὐταῖς Μαρτίαις, ἣ γένοιτʼ ἂν ἑβδόμη Δύστρου, πολλὰ λιπαρήσαντος αὐτὸν τοῦ δικαστοῦ, ὡς ἂν θύσας τῆς νομιζομένης παρʼ αὐτῶν ἐλευθερίας τύχοι, τῆς προσκαίρου ζωῆς τὸν ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας εὐκλεῆ προτιμήσας θάνατον, μετὰ τοὺς θῆρας ὁμοίως τῷ προτέρῳ θῦμα γενόμενος, ὕστατος τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς Καισαρείας μαρτύρων τοὺς ἄθλους ἐπεσφραγίσατο. ### English translation (Claude) After two days had passed, Adrian, on the fifth of the month Dystrus, the third day before the Nones of March, on the day of the birthday of the so-called Fortune of Caesarea, was thrown to a lion and then slain by the sword and perfected. Eubulus, two days later, on the Nones of March themselves, which would be the seventh of Dystrus, though the judge urged him earnestly to sacrifice and obtain what they consider freedom, preferred to temporary life a glorious death for godliness, and having become a sacrifice after the beasts like the former, he sealed the contests as the last of the martyrs at Caesarea. ### Translation notes - The 'Fortune' (Τύχη) of Caesarea was the city's protecting goddess. 5 and 7 March 310. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.30 (Dindorf 4:413; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-30). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 11.31 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-11-31 - Source: Dindorf 4:413–414 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Firmilian himself was later executed by the sword. ### Greek text μνημονεῦσαι δʼ ἔτι ἄξιον ἐνταῦθα τοῦ λόγου ὡς ἄρα οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν τῆς οὐρανίου προνοίας τοὺς δυσσεβεῖς ἄρχοντας αὐτοῖς τυράννοις μετελθούσης. ὁ γὰρ τὰ τοσαῦτα κατὰ τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαρτύρων παροινήσας, αὐτὸς δὴ ὁ Φιρμιλλιανὸς, μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐσχάτην ὑπομείνας τιμωρίαν ξίφει τὴν ζωὴν καταστρέφει. καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ Καισάρειαν ἐφʼ ὅλοις τοῖς τοῦ διωγμοῦ χρόνοις ἐπιτελεσθέντα μαρτύρια τοιαῦτα. ### English translation (Claude) It is worth recalling at this point that not long after, heavenly providence overtook the impious rulers together with the tyrants themselves. For the very man who had raged so much against the martyrs of Christ, Firmilian himself, suffered the extreme penalty with the others and ended his life by the sword. Such were the martyrdoms accomplished at Caesarea during the whole period of the persecution. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 11.31 (Dindorf 4:413–414; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/11-31). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 12.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/8-1/#p-12-1 - Source: Dindorf 4:414 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Eusebius deliberately passes over the failures of church leaders, ambition, irregular ordinations and schisms, telling only what is praiseworthy. ### Greek text Ὅσα δʼ ἐπὶ τούτοις κατὰ τὸν ἐν μέσῳ χρόνον ἐπιτελεσθῆναι συμβέβηκε κατὰ τοὺς τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν προεστῶτας, ὡς ἀντὶ ποιμένων τῶν λογικῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ προβάτων, ὧν οὐκ ἐνθέσμως προύστησαν, καμήλων ἀλόγου καὶ τῇ τοῦ σώματος φύσει σκολιωτάτου ζῴου φροντιστὰς αὐτοὺς ὡσπερεὶ τούτων ἀξίους ἡ θεία κατακρίνασα δίκη προεστήσατο, ὅπως τε βασιλικῶν ἵππων ἐνόχους παραστάσει κατεδίκασεν, ὅσα τε τῶν ἱερῶν σκευῶν, τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν ἕνεκα κειμηλίων, οἱ αὐτοὶ πρὸς τῶν κατὰ καιροὺς βασιλικῶν ἐπιτρόπων τε καὶ ἀρχόντων ἐν ὕβρεσι ἀτιμίαις καὶ βασάνοις ἀνηντλήκασι, τάς τε ἐπὶ τούτοις τῶν πολλῶν φιλαρχίας, ἀκρίτους τε καὶ ἐκθέσμους χειροτονίας, καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς ὁμολογηταῖς σχίσματα, ὅσα τε οἱ νέοι στασιώδεις κατὰ τῶν τῆς ἐκκλησίας λειψάνων διὰ σπουδῆς ἐμηχανήσαντο, καινότερα καινοῖς ἐπινεωτερίζοντες, καὶ ἀφειδῶς ταῖς τοῦ διωγμοῦ συμφοραῖς ἐπεντρίβοντες καὶ κακὰ κακοῖς ἐπιτειχίζοντες, ταῦτα πάντα παρήσειν μοι δοκῶ, ἀνοίκειον ἐμαυτῷ κρίνας, παραιτουμένῳ τε καὶ ἀποφεύγοντι, ὡς δʼ οὖν καὶ ἀρχομένῳ μοι εἴρηται, τὴν περὶ τούτων διήγησιν, ἀλλὰ γὰρ ὅσα σεμνὰ καὶ εὔφημα κατὰ τὸν ἱερὸν λόγον, καὶ εἰ τις ἀρετὴ καὶ ἔπαινος, ταῦτα λέγειν τε καὶ γράφειν καὶ πισταῖς ἀκοαῖς παρέχεσθαι οἰκειότατον ἡγούμενος τῇ τῶν θαυμαστῶν μαρτύρων ἱστορίᾳ. καὶ τῇ μετὰ ταύτην οὐρανόθεν ἡμῖν ἐπιφανείσῃ εἰρήνῃ κοσμήσειν μοι δοκῶ τοῦ παντὸς λόγου τὴν περιγραφήν. ### English translation (Claude) As for what happened besides these things in the intervening time to the presidents of the churches: how divine justice, condemning them as though worthy of it, set them, instead of shepherds of the rational sheep of Christ over which they presided not lawfully, as keepers of camels, an irrational animal and most crooked in the nature of its body; how it condemned them to the care of the imperial horses; how much they endured in insults, dishonours and tortures from the imperial procurators and rulers of the time over the sacred vessels and treasures of the church; besides these, the ambition of many, the rash and unlawful ordinations, the schisms among the confessors themselves, and all that the young agitators zealously devised against the remnants of the church, introducing innovations upon innovations, unsparingly adding to the calamities of the persecution and heaping evils on evils: all these I think I shall pass over, judging the account of them unsuitable to me, since I decline and avoid it, as I said also at the beginning. But whatever is venerable and of good report, according to the sacred word, and if there is any virtue and praise, these I consider most fitting to tell and write and offer to faithful ears in the history of the wonderful martyrs. And I think I shall adorn the close of the whole account with the peace that afterwards shone upon us from heaven. ### Scripture references - Phil 4:8: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 8.2.2-3 (Church History): allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - 'Whatever is venerable ... if there is any virtue and praise' quotes Phil 4:8. 'As I said at the beginning' probably refers to Hist. eccl. 8.2.2–3, where Eusebius states the same principle. 'Not lawfully' (οὐκ ἐνθέσμως) is Eusebius's judgment on these leaders. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 12.1 (Dindorf 4:414; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/12-1). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 13.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-1/#p-13-1 - Source: Dindorf 4:414–415 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: When the confessors at the Palestinian copper mines built houses for worship, the governor denounced them to the emperor. ### Greek text Ἕβδομον ἔτος τοῦ καθʼ ἡμῶν ἀγῶνος ἠνύετο, καί πως ἠρέμα τῶν καθʼ ἡμᾶς ἡσυχῆ τὸ ἀπερίεργον εἰληφότων, εἰς ὄγδοον τε διαγενομένων ἔτος, ἀμφὶ τὰ ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ χαλκοῦ μέταλλα οὐκ ὀλίγης ὁμολογητῶν συγκεκροτημένης πληθύος, πολλῇ τε τῇ παρρησίᾳ χρωμένων, ὡς καὶ οἴκους εἰς ἐκκλησίας δείμασθαι, ὁ τῆς ἐπαρχίας ἄρχων δεινός τις ὢν καὶ πονηρὸς, καὶ οἷον αὐτὸν τὰ κατὰ τῶν μαρτύρων δρασθέντα συνέστησεν, ἐπιδημήσας αὐτόθι καὶ τὴν τῶν ἐκεῖσε διαγωγὴν πυθόμενος βασιλεῖ κοινοῦται, ὅσα δοκεῖν, εἰς διαβολὴν καταγράφων. ### English translation (Claude) The seventh year of the contest against us was being completed, and our affairs had somewhat quietly settled into calm, and continued so into the eighth year. A considerable crowd of confessors had gathered at the copper mines in Palestine and enjoyed great freedom, so much so that they even built houses for churches. The ruler of the province, a terrible and wicked man, as his deeds against the martyrs showed him to be, visiting the place and learning of the way of life of the people there, reported it to the emperor, writing what seemed to him likely to bring accusation. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 13.1 (Dindorf 4:414–415; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-1). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 13.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-1/#p-13-2 - Source: Dindorf 4:415 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The mine overseer dispersed the confessors to Cyprus, Lebanon and parts of Palestine. ### Greek text εἶτʼ ἐπιστὰς ὁ τοῖς μετάλλοις ἐπιτεταγμένος, ὡσὰν ἐκ βασιλικοῦ νεύματος διελὼν τὴν τῶν ὁμολογητῶν πληθὺν, τοῖς μὲν Κύπρον, τοῖς δὲ τὸν Λίβανον οἰκεῖν ἔνειμεν, ἄλλους τε ἄλλαις κατὰ Παλαιστίνην χώραις κατασπείρας, τοὺς πάντας διαφόροις πονεῖσθαί τισιν ἔργοις ἐπικελεύεται. ### English translation (Claude) Then the overseer of the mines arrived, divided the crowd of confessors as though by imperial command, assigned some to live in Cyprus and others on Lebanon, scattered still others in different districts of Palestine, and ordered them all to toil at various tasks. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 13.2 (Dindorf 4:415; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-2). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 13.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-1/#p-13-3 - Source: Dindorf 4:415 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Four leaders, the Egyptian bishops Peleus and Nilus, a presbyter, and Patermuthius, refused to deny the faith and were burned. ### Greek text εἶτα τέσσαρας τοὺς μάλιστα δοκοῦντας αὐτῶν κορυφαίους ἐπιλεξάμενος ἐπὶ τὸν ἐφεστῶτα τοῖς αὐτόθι στρατεύμασι παραπέμπεται· Πήλευς ἦν καὶ Νεῖλος, ἐπίσκοποι Αἰγυπτίων, καὶ πρεσβύτερος ἄλλος, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ τοῖς πᾶσι διὰ τὴν περὶ πάντας σπουδὴν γνωριμώτατος Πατερμούθιος· οὓς ὁ στρατοπεδάρχης, ἄρνησιν τῆς θεοσεβείας αἰτήσας καὶ μὴ τυχὼν, τῇ διὰ πυρὸς τελειώσει παραδίδωσιν. ### English translation (Claude) Then he picked out four who seemed most to be their leaders and sent them to the commander of the armies there: Peleus and Nilus, Egyptian bishops, another, a presbyter, and besides these Patermuthius, best known to all for his zeal toward all. The general asked them to deny their godliness, and when he did not obtain it, he gave them over to perfecting by fire. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 13.3 (Dindorf 4:415; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-3). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 13.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-1/#p-13-4 - Source: Dindorf 4:415 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The aged and maimed confessors lived apart under Silvanus, bishop from Gaza. ### Greek text ἄλλοι δʼ αὖ πάλιν ἐτύγχανον ἐκεῖσε ἐφʼ ἑαυτοῖς ἰδίαν χώραν οἰκεῖν λαχόντες, ὅσοι τῶν ὁμολογητῶν ἤτοι διὰ γῆρας ἢ διὰ πηρώσεις, ἢ ἄλλας σωμάτων ἀσθενείας, τῆς ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις ἀπολέλυντο λειτουργίας, ὧν ἡγεῖτο ἐκ τῆς Γαζαίων ἐπίσκοπος ὁρμώμενος Σιλβανὸς, εὐλαβές τι χρῆμα καὶ γνήσιον ὑπόδειγμα Χριστιανισμοῦ φέρων. ### English translation (Claude) Others again had been allotted a place of their own there to live by themselves: those of the confessors who, because of old age or maimings or other bodily weaknesses, had been released from service in the works. Their leader was Silvanus, a bishop from Gaza, a devout man who bore a genuine pattern of Christianity. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 13.4 (Dindorf 4:415; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-4). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 13.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-1/#p-13-5 - Source: Dindorf 4:415–416 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Silvanus, a confessor from the beginning, was kept to be the final seal of the Palestinian martyrdoms. ### Greek text οὗτος δὴ, ὡς εἰπεῖν, ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης ἡμέρας τοῦ διωγμοῦ καὶ διὰ παντὸς τοῦ χρόνου παντοίοις ἀγῶσιν ὁμολογιῶν διαπρέψας, εἰς ἐκεῖνο τοῦ καιροῦ τετήρητο, ὡς ἂν ὕστατον γένοιτο παντὸς τοῦ κατὰ Παλαιστίνην ἀγῶνος ἐπισφράγισμα. ### English translation (Claude) He, one may say, had distinguished himself from the first day of the persecution and throughout the whole time in contests of confession of every kind, and had been kept until that time to be the final seal of the whole contest in Palestine. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 13.5 (Dindorf 4:415–416; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-5). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 13.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-1/#p-13-6 - Source: Dindorf 4:416 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Among them was John, already blind, whose sightless eyes were nonetheless branded. ### Greek text τούτῳ δὲ καὶ τῶν ἀπʼ Αἰγύπτου συνῆσαν πλείους, ἐν οἷς ἦν καὶ Ἰωάννης, ὃς τῇ περὶ μνήμας ἀρετῇ τοὺς καθʼ ἡμᾶς ὑπερεβάλετο πάντας. τῶν μὲν οὖν ὄψεων καὶ πρότερον οὗτος ἐστέρητο, ὅμως δὲ καὶ ἐφʼ αἷς διέπρεψεν ὁμολογίαις ὁμοίως τοῖς ἄλλοις καυτῆρσιν ἀφανισθεὶς τὸν πόδα, κατὰ τῆς μὴ ἐνεργούσης ὁράσεως τὸν αὐτὸν τοῦ πυρὸς καυτῆρα εἰλήφει, τῶν δημίων ἐπὶ τὸ ἀνηλεὲς καὶ ἀσυμπαθὲς τὸ τοῦ τρόπου ὠμὸν καὶ ἀπάνθρωπον ἐπιτεινόντων. ### English translation (Claude) With him were many from Egypt, among them John, who surpassed all of our time in the power of memory. He had already lost his sight before; yet in the confessions in which he distinguished himself, after his foot had been destroyed by branding irons like the others, he also received the same branding of fire on his eyes, though they no longer saw, the executioners carrying the cruelty and inhumanity of their character to merciless and unfeeling lengths. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 13.6 (Dindorf 4:416; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-6). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 13.7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-1/#p-13-7 - Source: Dindorf 4:416 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Blind John knew whole books of Scripture by heart and could recite the Law, Prophets, histories, Gospels and epistles. ### Greek text τοιοῦτον δὴ ὄντα ἤθους μὲν καὶ βίου φιλοσόφου τί ἄν τις ἀποθαυμάσειεν, οὐχ οὕτως ἀναφανέντος παραδόξου, ὅσον τῆς ἐν μνήμαις ἀρετῆς, ὅλας βίβλους τῶν θείων γραφῶν οὐκ ἐν πλαξὶ λιθίναις, ᾗ φησιν ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ ἐν ζῴων δοραῖς ἣ χάρταις, ὑπὸ σητῶν καὶ χρόνου διαφθειρομένοις, ἀλλʼ ἐν πλαξὶν ὡς ἀληθῶς καρδίας σαρκίναις, ψυχῇ τε διαυγεῖ καὶ καθαρωτάτῳ διανοίας ὄμματι καταγεγραμμένου, ὡς προφέρειν γε, ὅτε καὶ βούλοιτο, διὰ στόματος ὥσπερ ἀπό τινος λόγων θησαυροῦ τοτὲ μὲν νομικὴν καὶ προφητικὴν γραφὴν, τοτὲ δὲ ἱστορικὴν εὐαγγελικήν τε ἄλλοτε καὶ ἀποστολικήν. ### English translation (Claude) Why should one admire in such a man his character and philosophic life, when they did not appear so extraordinary as his power of memory? He had whole books of the divine Scriptures written, not on tablets of stone, as the divine apostle says, nor even on skins of animals or papyrus destroyed by moths and time, but truly on fleshly tablets of the heart, in a luminous soul and the purest eye of the mind, so that he could bring out by mouth, whenever he wished, as from a treasury of words, now the Law and the Prophets, now the historical books, at other times the Gospels and the apostolic writings. ### Scripture references - 2 Cor 3:3: allusion, high confidence - Matt 6:19–20: echo, low confidence ### Translation notes - 'Not on tablets of stone ... but on fleshly tablets of the heart' is 2 Cor 3:3; 'moths' echoes Matt 6:19–20. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 13.7 (Dindorf 4:416; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-7). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 13.8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-1/#p-13-8 - Source: Dindorf 4:416–417 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Eusebius tells of hearing blind John recite Scripture from memory in church, proof that the true person is the soul and mind. ### Greek text καταπλαγῆναί ποτε αὐτὸς ὁμολογῶ, πρῶτον τὸν ἄνδρα θεασάμενος μέσον ἱκανοῦ πλήθους ἐκκλησίας ἑστῶτα καί τινα μέρη θείας γραφῆς διεξιόντα. ἕως μὲν γὰρ φωνῆς αὐτὸ μόνον ἐπακροᾶσθαί μοι παρῆν, ἀναγινώσκειν, οἷα δὴ ἔθος ἐν ταῖς συνόδοις, τινὰ ἡγούμην, ὡς δὲ ἄγχιστα γενόμενος τὸ πραττόμενον συνεῖδον, τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους ἅπαντας ὑγιέσιν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἐν κύκλῳ περιεστῶτας, τοῦτον δὲ μόνοις τοῖς τῆς διανοίας χρώμενον, καὶ ἀτεχνῶς οἷά τινα προφήτην ἀποφθεγγόμενον, παρὰ πολύ τε πλεονεκτοῦντα τοὺς τὸ σῶμα ἐρρωμένους, οὐδʼ ὁπωσοῦν δοξάζειν τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἀποθαυμάζειν οἷός τε ἦν, σαφές τε πεῖσμα καὶ βέβαιον αὐτοῖς ἔργοις ἐδόκουν μοι ὁρᾶν, ὅτι δὴ μόνος κατʼ ἀλήθειαν οὐχ ὁ ἐν τῷ προφανεῖ σώματι νενομισμένος πέφυκεν ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλʼ ὁ κατὰ ψυχὴν καὶ διάνοιαν, ὃς καὶ τοῦ σώματος λελωβημένου μείζονα τὴν ἀρετὴν τῆς καθʼ αὑτὸν δυνάμεως ἐπεδείκνυτο. ### English translation (Claude) I confess that I was myself astonished when I first saw the man standing in the middle of a large congregation of the church and reciting some parts of divine Scripture. As long as I could only hear his voice, I thought someone was reading, as is the custom in the assemblies; but when I came close and saw what was happening, all the others standing round about with healthy eyes, and he using only those of the mind, and simply speaking out like a prophet, far surpassing those strong in body, I could not glorify God and marvel enough. And I seemed to see by the very facts a clear and firm proof that the true human being is not the one recognized in the visible body, but the one in soul and mind, who even with the body mutilated showed a virtue greater than its power. ### Translation notes - The reading of Scripture in the assemblies is mentioned as the customary practice. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 13.8 (Dindorf 4:416–417; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-8). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 13.9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-1/#p-13-9 - Source: Dindorf 4:417 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The confessors lived in fasting and prayer, and the devil, unable to bear them, sought their death. ### Greek text ἀλλὰ γὰρ τοὺς δεδηλωμένους κατὰ τὸν ἀποκριθέντα τόπον διατρίβοντας, τά τε συνήθη ἐν ἀσιτίαις καὶ προσευχαῖς καὶ ταῖς λοιπαῖς ἀποτελοῦντας ἀσκήσεσι, θεὸς μὲν αὐτὸς τῆς σωτηρίου τελειώσεως τυχεῖν ἠξίου, δεξιὰν αὐτοῖς ἐπήκοον παρέχων, ὁ δὲ πολέμιος ἐχθρὸς, ἄτε σχολαίτατα κατʼ αὐτοῦ διὰ τῶν πρὸς θεὸν εὐχῶν ὁπλιζομένους μηκέθʼ οἷός τε φέρειν, κτείνειν καὶ μεταίρειν ἀπὸ γῆς ὡσὰν ἐνόμιζεν ἐνοχλοῦντας· ### English translation (Claude) But as those mentioned were living in the place set apart for them and carrying out their customary practices of fasting, prayer and the other disciplines, God himself counted them worthy to obtain the saving perfecting, extending to them a right hand that listened; while the hostile enemy, no longer able to bear them arming themselves against him most diligently through prayers to God, thought to kill them and remove them from the earth as troublesome. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 13.9 (Dindorf 4:417; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-9). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 13.10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-1/#p-13-10 - Source: Dindorf 4:417 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: God allowed it, and thirty-nine confessors were beheaded in one day at Maximin's order. ### Greek text θεὸς δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ τοῦτο πράττειν ἐγχειροῦντι συνεχώρει, ὡς ὁμοῦ τε αὐτὸς τῆς αὐτοῦ κατὰ προαίρεσιν μὴ εἴργοιτο πονηρίας ἐκεῖνοί τε τῶν πολυτρόπων ἀγώνων ἤδη ποτὲ ἀπολάβοιεν τὰ βραβεῖα. ταύτῃ οὖν ἑνὸς δέοντες τὸν ἀριθμὸν τεσσαράκοντα νεύματι τοῦ παναγεστάτου Μαξιμίνου ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ τὰς κεφαλὰς ἀποτέμνονται. ### English translation (Claude) God permitted him to do this too, when he attempted it, so that he might not be restrained from the wickedness of his own choice, and they might at last receive the prizes of their many contests. So thirty-nine of them were beheaded on one day at the nod of the most accursed Maximin. ### Translation notes - 'Thirty-nine' renders 'forty less one'. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 13.10 (Dindorf 4:417; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-10). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 13.11 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-1/#p-13-11 - Source: Dindorf 4:417–418 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Eusebius sums up eight years of persecution in Palestine and its countless martyrs from Libya to Illyricum. ### Greek text ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τὰ κατὰ Παλαιστίνην ἐν ὅλοις ἔτεσιν ὀκτὼ συμπερανθέντα μαρτύρια, καὶ τοιοῦτος ὁ καθʼ ἡμὰς διωγμὸς, ἀρξάμενος μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν καθαιρέσεως, εἰς μέγα δὲ προκόψας ἐν ταῖς κατὰ χρόνους τῶν ἀρχόντων ἐπαναστάσεσιν, ἐν αἷς πολύτροποι καὶ πολυειδεῖς τῶν ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας ἠθληκότων ἀγῶνες ἀνήριθμόν τι πλῆθος μαρτύρων κατὰ πᾶσαν ἐπάρχιον συνεστήσαντο, ἐν τοῖς ἀπὸ Λιβύης καὶ διʼ ὅλης Αἰγύπτου, Συρίας τε καὶ τῶν ἀπʼ ἀνατολῆς καὶ κύκλῳ μέχρι τῶν κατὰ τὸ Ἰλλυρικὸν κλίμα παρατείνουσι. ### English translation (Claude) These, then, are the martyrdoms accomplished in Palestine over eight whole years, and such was the persecution in our time. It began with the destruction of the churches and advanced greatly in the successive attacks of the rulers, in which the many and varied contests of those who contended for godliness produced a countless multitude of martyrs in every province, among those from Libya and throughout Egypt, Syria and the East, and round about as far as the regions of Illyricum. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 13.11 (Dindorf 4:417–418; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-11). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 13.12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-1/#p-13-12 - Source: Dindorf 4:418 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: In the West the persecution lasted only about two years. ### Greek text τὰ γάρ τοι ἐπέκεινα τῶν δεδηλωμένων, Ἰταλία πᾶσα καὶ Σικελία, Γαλλία τε καὶ ὅσα κατὰ δυόμενον ἥλιον ἐπὶ Σπανίαν Μαυριτανίαν τε καὶ Ἀφρικὴν, ὅλοις ἔτεσιν δυσὶ τοῖς πρώτοις τοῦ διωγμοῦ τὸν πόλεμον ὑπομείναντα, ταχίστης ἠξιώθησαν ἐπισκοπῆς τε θεοῦ καὶ εἰρήνης, τῆς οὐρανίου προνοίας φειδὼ τῆς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἁπλότητος καὶ πίστεως ποιουμένης. ### English translation (Claude) For the lands beyond those mentioned, all Italy and Sicily, Gaul and all toward the setting sun, Spain, Mauretania and Africa, after enduring the war for two whole years at the beginning of the persecution, were very quickly counted worthy of God's visitation and peace, heavenly providence sparing the simplicity and faith of the people. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 13.12 (Dindorf 4:418; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-12). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 13.13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-1/#p-13-13 - Source: Dindorf 4:418 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Unprecedentedly, the empire was divided, with peace for Christians in the West while the East suffered. ### Greek text ὃ γοῦν μηδὲ ἱστόρηται ἐν τοῖς ἀνέκαθεν τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς, τοῦτο νῦν πρῶτον καθʼ ἡμᾶς παρὰ πάσαν γέγονεν ἐλπίδα· διαιρεῖται μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τῷ καθʼ ἡμᾶς διωγμῷ διχῆ τὰ τῆς βασιλείας, εἰρήνης δʼ ἀπολαύουσιν οἱ ἐν θατέρῳ μέρει τῷ προδεδηλωμένῳ κατοικοῦντες ἀδελφοὶ, τῶν ἀνὰ τὴν ἄλλην οἰκουμένην μυρίους ἐπὶ μυρίοις ἀγῶνας ὑπομεινάντων. ### English translation (Claude) Something never recorded in all the past history of the Roman Empire has now happened for the first time in our day, beyond all hope: during the persecution against us the empire was divided in two, and the brothers living in the one part already mentioned enjoyed peace, while those throughout the rest of the world endured countless thousands of contests. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 13.13 (Dindorf 4:418; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-13). ## Martyrs of Palestine (shorter recension) 13.14 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-1/#p-13-14 - Source: Dindorf 4:418 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: When God's grace visited the East, the persecutors recanted with favourable decrees, which must be recorded. ### Greek text ἀλλὰ γὰρ ὅτε καὶ τὴν καθʼ ἡμᾶς ἐπισκοπὴν εὐμενῆ καὶ ἵλεων ἡ θεία χάρις ἐνεδείκνυτο, τότε δῆτα καὶ οἱ καθʼ ἡμᾶς ἄρχοντες αὐτοὶ δὴ ἐκεῖνοι, διʼ ὧν πάλαι τὰ τῶν καθʼ ἡμᾶς ἐνηργεῖτο πολέμων, παραδοξοτάτῳ γνώμῃ μεταβαλλόμενοι παλινῳδίαν ᾖδον, χρηστοῖς περὶ ἡμῶν προγράμμασιν καὶ ἡμέροις διατάγμασι τὴν καθʼ ἡμῶν πυρκαιὰν ἀποσβεννύντες· ἀναγραπτέα δὴ καὶ ἡ παλινῳδία. ### English translation (Claude) But when divine grace showed its kindly and gracious visitation toward us also, then indeed our rulers too, those very men through whom the wars against us had long been carried on, changed their minds most marvellously and sang a recantation, quenching the blaze against us with kindly proclamations and gentle decrees concerning us. This recantation too must be recorded. ### Extrabiblical texts - Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 8.17 (Church History): echo, low confidence ### Translation notes - In the Church History the recantation (Galerius's edict) follows at 8.17; here the work ends with the announcement. ### Citation (SBL) Eusebius, Mart. Pal. 13.14 (Dindorf 4:418; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-martyribus-palaestinae/13-14).